Niibantai  Second Division
by LazyStargazer
Summary: Kiyashi Kumo 雲 キヤシ, of West Rukongai 78th District, follows his foster sister, Ayame Kinasuke, in becoming a shinigami. When he gets assigned to the 2nd Squad, he finds an idol in its taichou, Soifon. PS: I WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENTUALLY, PLEASE WAIT
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hi everyone. This is my first fic, and I've given myself a pretty hard task here, trying to write a full adventure genre fanfic, so don't criticize me too much. Of course, I welcome all reviews, as long as the criticism is constructive. Please R&R, and enjoy!

Summary: Kiyashi Kumo, from West Rukongai, 78th District, Inuzuri, lives with his foster sister, Ayame Kinasuke, who is a student at the Shinigami Academy, when he follows her into becoming a shinigami, and becomes a seated officer in the 2nd Division, he finds his idol in his captain, Soifon. Main Pairings: OCxSoifon, Mild RenjixOC

Note: I write in 1st person because it is much easier to tell a story revolving around a single person that way. Scene changes however will be in 3rd person. So, sorry if you're confused.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, but the OCs are all my creations.

It was that dream again.

Why do I keep dreaming about it? I don't recognize it. That strange world, like the one I live in, but devoid of color and people. I walk across the colorless ground, but no matter how far I go, I never seem to gain any distance. It is just Inuzuri… over and over again.

Funny thing is, I can't even tell if it's a nightmare or not. The feeling of loneliness hurts, but something there feels so familiar. It's like something from a previous life. No… it can't be. It's just a dream.

I was about to fall asleep again, if not for the sound of someone entering.

"Kiyashi-kun?" it was the soft female voice I've heard for so many years. Ayame Kinasuke, my older sister, ever since I passed on to the afterlife. The sound of a familiar person shook me from my sleep as a reached for my glasses and brushed my blanket aside.

"Nee-san?" I asked, still somewhat sleepy. She looked as she always did, the red and white student's kimono aside. "You're back?"

Ayame put aside her katana, and sat down on a stool nearby, and waited as I climbed from my bed.

"It's been three months since you last came back to visit me… is it really that busy at the Academy?" I asked.

Ayame nodded. "Yeah. It's already my fifth year there, so the training's gotten more tight, and I have less time to spare to visit. I promise, though. When I become a proper shinigami, I'll get a place to stay in Seireitei and send you to the Shinigami Academy, alright?"

I blinked. The Seireitei, where the upper-class nobles and shinigami lived, the center of Soul Society. Every poor soul in the Rukon District would want to live there, but for someone like me to even set foot there is forbidden. But to become a shinigami… "Nee-san…"

"What?" she asked.

"Thanks." Damn, that was all I could say. I didn't know whether I really wanted to become a shinigami. The folk around here, half of them hate shinigami*, but then again, it's not like I have any real friends around here.

Ayame got up. "I'm going to buy some more water for us. It looks like there's not much left."

I stopped her. "No, it's alright, nee-san. I'll go." I took the money on the table and left the small shack. I needed to get outside and try and forget about that weird dream.

Inuzuri sure is quiet today. Most of the time I would hear the chattering of the souls around here, the more aggressive adults in the district fighting over each others' money, or just the shuffling of feet. For it to be this quiet...

I hated living in Inuzuri. This district was full of thieves and thugs, ready to strike from the shadows at the first sign of a person with wealth of any kind, and the children… they were treated worse than dogs. I am extremely lucky for a child here, since my sister is a shinigami in training, but I've seen things happen to other children, those that can't get away from an angry adult, or a thief at some alley. I tried going out as little as possible, but that dream scares me more than anything that can happen out here.

It was lucky that it was quiet today, otherwise I would have never heard whatever happened next.

I heard fast footsteps, as if someone was running at top speed. Thinking it was an adult, I hid behind one of the collapsed walls nearby, and when I heard five pairs of footsteps getting closer, I looked over the wall, trying to observe while staying out of view.

They weren't adults. Five kids, four of them boys and one girl in a purple kimono. They looked unremarkable, except for the taller boy with red hair that was held in a standing ponytail. They were running, the red-haired boy was carrying a large jar of water, and they were panting- must have been running for a long time.

"Not good!" the boy shouted. "The water's gonna spill, and if we slow down that fatso adult behind us is gonna catch up!"

The others were shivering. I heard them call the red-haired boy, probably their leader, 'Ren-chan'. When they reached the area I was hiding, which was a crossroad, they stopped.

"Hide it behind that wall, Renji! We can come back for it later!" it was the big-eyed girl that said that. Renji seemed reluctant to put it down, but quickly did it anyway when he heard a shout from the direction they came from.

"COME BACK HERE, YOU BRATS! I'LL TEACH YOU TO STEAL WATER FROM ME AGAIN!" it was likely the 'fatso adult' they mentioned. I couldn't see him though, so he must have still been far away. I remembered that they were going to hide the water behind the wall, but didn't have time to get away before the red-haired boy saw me.

"Huh? Who're you?" he asked me, seemingly surprised to see me there. I stood up nervously.

"What's wrong, Renji? Hurry up! I can see the adults coming!" the girl shouted, and I noted she seemed extremely bossy from the way she said it.

"Oh, whatever." Renji put the jar down, grabbed me by the arm and dragged me with his gang of kids. The others must have been extremely panicked, as they didn't notice another person running away with them. I was just shocked, and couldn't do anything besides following.

I wasn't sure how long we ran for. It felt like an hour, though I knew it couldn't have been that long, or my legs would have died.

"There! Quick, in the house!" they said, and we all ran through the doorway, and three of the boys slammed the door shut, bolted it, and did the same to the windows.

"Whew." The girl gasped. "I'm glad we managed to get away… hey, who's this kid?"

I stared. I wasn't sure of what to say, but I swallowed down my uncertainty and said my name. "Kiyashi Kumo."

Renji- or something like that, put his hands on his hips. "That sounds like a noble's name. You even have a last name!"

Great. I thought. A bossy midget- even for a girl- and a rough-and-tumble kid with hair that reminded me of a pineapple. And I think I just got insulted.

"I'm not." I said blankly. "What are _your_ names anyway? I'm not sure I would be able say the same about you guys."

Renji scoffed. "See, you even talk kinda like a- aargh!"

"Don't be so rude, Renji!" the girl had punched Renji on the stomach.

"What the hell, Rukia! How the heck was I bein' rude? I was just askin' him why he talks like a- mnph!" It was a punch in the face this time. For a midget, she looked like she really hit hard.

"Rukia and Renji, huh? You sure look young, but you both argue like an old married couple." I said, partially without thinking, as they both looked like they were about to murder each other- and me.

"WE DO NOT!" they shouted in unison, while their three friends snorted with laughter. "SHUT UP!"

I felt happy. For the first time in a long, long time I don't remember, I found people near my age, kids I could talk with and laugh with.

Renji held out something to us all. "Here. I hid some of the candy we filched the other day in this house. I thought we should eat it before someone comes and decides to live here. You too, Kiya-something. By the way, do ya have anywhere to stay? 'cos we have a big place with loads of other kids if you don't."

I took the bag of candy, frowning when he said my name wrong. "The name's Kiyashi, and yes, I do. I live somewhere opposite here with my nee-san."

Renji seemed interested. "Oh, you have family, huh?"

I shook my head. "Only my sister, and she's not a blood relative either. She took me in when I first arrived here at Rukongai. She's a shinigami in training."

Renji's eyes widened. Rukia almost spat out her candy. The others stared in shock. "A- a shinigami?"

I nodded, not sure why they were so shocked. "Yeah. She's in her fifth year at the Shinigami Academy."

Rukia looked at Renji. "So… she has it too, huh? Reiatsu?"

I nodded again. "So do I, actually." I formed a ball of reishi in my hand. "That's why she says when she's going to apply me for the academy once she graduates." I saw the reishi ball suddenly darken**, and before they noticed, I dispersed it.

Rukia responded. "We can do that too. I could make a ball about as big as yours, and Renji can do it as well, somewhat, but his is-"

"Shut up, Rukia!" Renji demanded, blushing and pointing a finger at her angrily.

I chuckled. It was a long time since I saw anything as comical as these two. The amusement disappeared, however, when I remembered my reishi darkening.

Just like in my dream… when everything around me darkened and lost color…

I brought my thoughts back. "It's getting late. I should go back now."

Renji stopped me. "Wha-? It's only been a couple of hours! You haven't even eaten any of the candy I gave you!"

I smiled nervously. "It's alright. I'll eat it when I get back. That way I can share it with my nee-san. See you guys some time."

Rukia nodded. "Ok. Be careful, though. There are a lot more drunk and mean adults at nighttime. We live at a house at the east of Inuzuri. It's the biggest one, with a white sign. Come visit, ok?"

"Yeah. Thanks." I replied, before leaving.

I easily made it home. The first few times I went out at night, I felt unsafe, but I got used to it after a while. Recently I rarely leave the house even in the mornings, except to go to buy food and water, but I frequently climb to the roof and watch the night sky. Ayame-nee-san doesn't like it when I do that, because I frequently fall asleep while stargazing, and commonly fall off right after.

Heh… I felt like an old person***, thinking about the past like this. I knocked on the doorframe and stepped in.

"Oh, you're back, Kiyashi-kun." Ayame said, putting down the book she was reading. "Here, let me pour you some tea."

I looked at the jug nearby. "Water? But I forgot…"

She laughed. "I can tell. When you didn't come back after an hour I decided to go over and buy some myself. Strange, the stall keepers seem a lot nicer than they used to before I went to the academy…"

_Probably because they're scared of you now_, I thought, "Sorry. You weren't worried?"

Ayame laughed again. "Of course I was a little worried. But I know you well, and I know you're smart enough to stay out of trouble, so I didn't panic and run around Inuzuri trying to find you. But I am curious… where were you?"

I put down the bag of candy. "Making some friends."

Ayame untied the small bag. "Confetti?****"

I nodded, picking up a piece. "I met a gang of kids when I was on my way to the market. They were getting chased because they stole water from one of the stalls, and I got caught in it. We spent some time together in one of the vacant houses at the opposite side of the district and this kid called Renji gave the candy."

"Renji… the name's familiar. Red-haired kid?" Ayame asked me.

Surprised, I asked her, "You know him?"

Ayame chuckled. "That kid's infamous in the market. He can't keep his hands to himself."

I shrugged. "He doesn't have much of a choice. He lives with about twenty other kids and… well, you know the adults around here." I took a deep breath. "Nee-san… there's one more thing I want to talk about."

"What is it?" Ayame asked.

I sighed. "I had that dream again. You know the one I told you about before?

Ayame looked thoughtful for a while. "The one of an abandoned Inuzuri with no color or life at all?"

"Yeah," I said. "Nee-san… do you have any idea what it means?"

Ayame shrugged. "I don't know. I'm still just a student at the Shinigami Academy. You'd need to find someone more experienced than me at this sort of thing. But… I'll see what I can find out at the Academy's library, ok, so don't worry, and tell me if you have that dream again."

I nodded.

"One more thing," Ayame continued, "I think I told you before, but the instructors at the Academy told me at my rate, I'll be graduating next year. So, like I said this morning, I've applied you for Shinigami Academy on the day before I graduate. This way your entrance is guaranteed. When it's time for you to go, I'll be there in the Seireitei, somewhere. Don't hesitate to come to me, okay?"

I blinked. "Oh… okay."

She grinned. Her whole face seemed to brighten up when she does that. "I believe in you, otouto."

I smiled back at her. "Nee-san, thanks."

"That's what you said this morning. Anyways, you're welcome."

AN: Horrible ending, I know. I kept redoing it and redoing it, but this is the best I could do. Sorry. I didn't like doing this chapter. Not my best writing ever. Do most authors look over their work again and think that it sucks? Cos that's what I feel right now.

This introduction… well, it's what it is. An introduction. I needed to introduce this OC into the story, and this was the best I could do. So please, don't flame me. I liked doing the Renji and Rukia part, not OOC, I hope? Anyway, involving the asterisks:

*- When Ichigo's gang intruded in West Rukongai and failed to get through the White Gate, the citizens said that they disliked most shinigami except for the gate guard Jidanbo.

**- The reiatsu darkening thing is a clue to what Kiyashi-kun's power is.

***- A reference to Chad's line during the Soul Society arc.

****- Confetti was the name of the candy Renji gave Rukia when they were kids. I don't know if that was what it was really called or if it was a mistake.

Please R&R!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Hi everyone, me again. This chapter was a lot more fun to write than the last one, a bit of writer's block though. There will be scene changes in this chapter, which will be separated by line breaks.

If you think that my story could use improvement or needs criticism, feel free to make suggestions. Please remember that I am an amateur writer writing his first fanfic.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, but Kiyashi is a character of my creation.

_The passing of a year._

That dream has not haunted me for the past year. Despite that, I still see it, through these eyes behind the glasses. When I clear my mind, no matter how hard I try, my thoughts always stray to that empty, bleak, colorless Inuzuri, a reflection of the real district.

Today was the first day of my days at the Shinigami Academy. I felt strangely out of place despite wearing the same thing as everyone else, and looking the same as everyone else.

_Oh, well_, I thought. I might have just been nervous. Regardless, I walked through the door to meet my fellow students.

"_Ok, then, I'm going, Shiro-chan."_

"_Quit calling me Shiro-chan! And don't pat my head!"_

"_When you can enroll in the same place as me, then I'll call you by your name."_

"_As if I'd wanna go to Shinigami school."_

"_After I move in the dorm, I'll still come back on holidays to see you. Bye, Shiro-chan!"_

"_Don't come back, Bed wetter Momo."_

She giggled at her best friend Shiro-chan's attitude to her finally leaving her home in Junrin'an to go to the Shinigami Academy. He acted annoyed and happy to see her go, but she knew that he was sad deep down. It was funny how silly he could get. His failure at getting her to call him by his real name for many years, and his annoyance to his pet name, Shiro-chan, a reference to his name and his white hair. She as well was sad to be parted from him, but also excited to just be standing in the Academy grounds.

Taking a deep breath and standing tall- or, as tall as she can, Momo Hinamori braced herself for what may happen in the next few years.

"_Well then, I'm going, Mother, Father."_

The blonde haired boy walked across the academy grounds, looking as confident as he could, despite his body demanding to shiver in nervousness. He didn't really remember the last time he was surrounded by this many people, and that was when his parents were still alive. He had prayed to their graves before leaving, and was determined to make them proud, no matter how timid he may be.

Izuru Kira stepped into the classroom, showing no fear even when the eyes from above watched him.

"_Crap, at this rate, we'll never make it!"_

"_It's YOUR fault! I look and look, and where do I find you? Sleeping on a TREE!"_

"_Shut up! It's my choice where I sleep!"_

"_Oh geez, I should have left you behind and gone by myself!"_

He laughed at himself for acting like an idiot when he looked back, although he thought that she was as much of an idiot for whining and complaining. It was really like that kid said. They were like old married couples. He was glad, though, that they had come to this academy together. He was surprised, although he didn't admit it, at how much his heart jumped at being inside this mighty structure. Although they obviously weren't everyone here looked like nobles to him, one who was bred in Rukongai and has no clue what it is like as a noble. Still he was sure this would be better than Inuzuri of all places.

Adjusting his hair a bit and straightening the spiky hairs on his ponytails, Renji Abarai strode inside the class with pride.

There were about a hundred and fifty students, maybe, and in countless rows, and those hundred and fifty students surprisingly did not even fill a third of the seats.

I was surprised at how big this class may be; noting that each and every one of the students that walked in looked nervous and unconfident at being watched by the instructor and the students that watched above.

Instead of looking at them, I looked around, and saw many, many students behind me, all looking fairly unremarkable, except for one familiar face.

"Renji-kun!" I cried out.

Said red-haired boy turned to face me, and a look of surprise appeared on his face. "Oh, well if it isn't Kiyashi. Haven't seen you for a while."

I nodded in response. "Sorry, I got really busy after that last visit. I don't know why you're so surprised about seeing me, since I told you I'd be coming here eventually. I'm the one who's surprised at seeing _you_!"

Renji shrugged and scratched his back- reminding me of an extremely itchy monkey*, and said, "I dunno, I s'pose I forgot about that, and also, it's the fact we're in the same class here."

"Yeah, I guess," I agreed. "So, is Rukia-san here as well?"

Renji nodded. "Yeah, Rukia's here too. But the midget's probably squashed by all the other big stud-AAARRGGHH!" a tiny hand met with his nose.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING A MIDGET!" screamed Rukia, who looked as though she had just managed- with difficulty- to squeeze through the crowd of larger students.

"But you are a-" Rukia glared at him. "I didn't say anything!" he squeaked, crossing his arms to defend himself.

I laughed. "I see you haven't lost strength, Rukia-san."

Rukia's eyes widened a bit at the sight of me. "Oh? It's Kiyashi. So, we're in the same class, huh? I'm glad. I thought I'd have to spend my years at the academy with Mr. I'm-way-too-tall here." She pointed at Renji.

"WHAT? I'm not too tall! You're just too shor-" he gulped and waved his arms in apology. "S-sorry!"

Rukia would have chased Renji all across the academy grounds if the bell didn't ring.

Hurriedly we all ran to the few seats available. Not wasting any time, we all quickly took out our equipment and waited for the instructor to speak.

The lesson was simple, but a tad boring. Ayame had already taught me many of the basics so I could move to more advanced skills quickly, and so I simply stayed silent throughout the class.

Not so for Renji-kun, though. He seemed eager to show off what knowledge he could and continued to raise his hand throughout the lectures. The annoyed looks the students around him showed spread throughout the whole room after about the tenth time. The instructor couldn't tell, of course. He was too busy writing on the blackboard.

"Now…" the instructor started, "who can tell me-"

"I know! I know! Please let me do it, sensei!" Renji shouted across the room.

The instructor lifted his thick eyebrows to look at Renji. "Energetic, aren't we. That's good, but if you want to write on the blackboard, everyone around you would have to leave their seats. I will do it."

Renji-kun looked disheartened as he sat down.

I had to hide my annoyance as everyone around Renji began to laugh, and mock him with cruel words.

"_Hasn't he got any common sense?"_

"_He is from the 78__th__ District of Rukongai, after all."_

"_Why is he in such a rush to prove himself?"_

"_He's really low class."_

I looked to Renji, who was shaking, although whether in embarrassment or anger, I didn't know. I turned my head to Rukia, who seemed as angry at the others as I was.

"Be silent." The instructor commanded, and the laughter began to die away.

"Now then, the…"

The library was a typical one, quiet, solitary, with the occasional whisper drifting across the room. I pulled an old book from the bookshelf, titled 'Kido and their Incantations' to prepare me for Kido Training.

I couldn't focus. My mind was still on Renji's embarrassment. Were the noble-borns and upper-class people all so arrogant? Or were the ones in our class just simply childish and insensitive?

I was sharply pulled from my thoughts by the ranting of a certain someone outside of the window.

"Those… arrgh…! Those noble-born brats! They don't know what it is like to live in a place as badly governed as Inuzuri, and they have the indecency to… ARGH!"

I smiled. Rukia may act aggressive to Renji, but they really were close friends after all. I continued listening, but somehow her voice began to become quieter and quieter, not exactly decreasing in volume, but seems to be more distant, as if slowly drifting away…

"Ngh…" I felt a sudden sleepiness overcome me as I collapsed on the table.

I awoke, or felt like it, and found that I was still in the library.

"CRAP!" I shouted, reaching for my things, noticing that everyone was gone. To my shock, they weren't there, besides the Asauchi** sitting beside my chair.

"What the-" I stopped, and gasped. The color was draining away from everything…

I picked up my katana, drew it, and looked around.

"_Why are you so shocked?"_

I dropped my katana and a chill ran up my spine when I heard the words. They sounded like two people were speaking them, one male and one female, one deep and one sharp, one calm and one energetic.

"_You do not recognize us?" _The mysterious voice sighed. _"We should have known this would happen."_

I reached down for my blade, to find that a black mist was escaping from the hilt and the blade. The mist gathered, grew dense, and formed into a genderless person, as tall as me, but with enormous ragged robes covering every feature of him.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"_You do not know?"_ it sighed again. _"It is us, ********."_

The last word was blurred, as if he was trying to speak it in water; it only came out as a bubbly stream of sounds.

"_You still cannot hear? I suppose we must have expected too much of you." _It began to fade. _"We will reappear once you are worthy of hearing it."_

I made a grab for the robe, only to find I couldn't. Bits of black cloth flaked off, through my hands, only to reconnect to the robe once more when I retrieved my hand.

"Wait!" I shouted. "Who are you? Worthy of hearing it? What do you mean?"

"_You will learn. And when that day comes, however far as it may be, we will face it with you. We are patient. We will wait."_

"Face it… with me? It can't be! You're…" I faltered.

"_Learn! Learn, so that we might lend you our knowledge and power! Learn, Kiyashi!"_

The apparition finally faded away completely, its words echoing throughout the whole room. A sudden blaze of light burned brightly, searing away this colorless world once again.

I woke, realizing that no time had passed after I passed out. Still uncertain to the meaning of the dream, I retrieved my belongings, and left the library to make my way to Kido Training.

I was surprised that there were so few students in this particular lesson. The first few students I noted were Renji, who was still receiving mocking looks from his fellow students, a cheerful looking blonde boy with short, clean cut hair- I could tell from the attire he was a middle-class noble, and a short, meek girl with raven black pigtails.

I was still thinking about the dream I got in the library, not noticing that the blonde noble boy and the short girl- whom I hoped was not as aggressive as Rukia- were looking at me with curiosity and concern.

"Umm… are you alright?" the boy asked. "Your mind seems to be… elsewhere."

"Huh?" I snapped back to current reality. "Uh… yeah, I'm fine. Thanks."

The boy offered his hand. "I'm Izuru Kira. Nice to meet you."

_Handshakes_, huh? A noble's way of greeting someone. I returned the gesture. "Kiyashi Kumo."

The girl waved. "Hi. I'm Momo Hinamori."

I nodded. "Nice to meet you, Hinamori-chan." I took my glasses off, wiped them, and shook her hand as well. "Are you… um… noble-born as well?"

She giggled, as I was acting extremely shy. "Ah, no, I'm from Junrin'an, 1st District of Rukongai. A nice place, but not nearly as high-class as the Seireitei. Why? Are you from Rukon District too?"

"Yeah," I replied. "Inuzuri, 78th District."

Hinamori blinked. "Ooh, 78th? That's pretty dangerous. The safety of each district is determined by their number with 1st being the safest and 80th being the most dangerous. 78th must be really bad."

I nodded again. "Renji-kun over there is also from that district."

Kira turned to see Renji, who was wandering around. "You mean Aka Kami-san over there?"

I looked over Kira's shoulder. "Yeah, that's him."

The instructor for Kido Training, who was a middle-aged man wearing a blue kimono, barked out, "All right, that's enough chatter. Everyone get into rows of five."

The students shuffled into rows, with Hinamori and I in the first row, Kira in the second, and Renji in the third.

"Listen up, students. Kido Training is not easy, and if any of you are under the delusion that it is, snap out of it, because right now, I'm going to test you, to see how much you actually know. So, first question. Do any of you know what the two forms of Kido are?" No one raised their hand, not even Renji, probably because he doesn't know. "No one? Fine. I will have to pick. Black-haired boy with the glasses. You tell me."

I felt like groaning, but instead I gave the answer. "Kido is separated into two categories. Hado, which is used for physical damage and destruction, and Bakudo, used for binding, paralysis and protection."

The instructor nodded, satisfied. "Very good. I see some of you actually _study_ around here. Now, second question. Unless you are skilled enough to use Eishohaki, which is a difficult skill that we will go into another time, you need an incantation to use Kido properly. Anyone know what an incantation is?"

My impression seems to have increased the confidence of the others, as people began raising their hands. "Yes, you. Kira, is it?"

"Hai, sir." Kira responded. "Incantations stabilize the spell and bring out its full potential, as well as minimizing the chances of failure."

"Correct. Incantations are very important to those less skilled in Kido. Without one, a Kido is likely to just blow up in your face rather than work properly. Even if it did fire without harm to you, the spell would likely be drastically weakened and deal minimal damage to the enemy. Got it?"

There was a bit of mumbling and scratching of heads, but most people nodded.

"So, I will now show you the damage that a mid-level Hado can deal. Listen carefully."

The instructor turned, spat on his hands- which likely was not a part of using Kido- and chanted out. "Ye lord, mask of blood and flesh, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man, inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado No. 31, Shakkaho!"

A large red blast of fire shot from his hands, struck the target, incinerated it, continued flying, hit the wall behind the target, exploded, and made a large hole in the middle.

Gasps of awe were heard all over the stage. "Man…" the instructor grumbled. "I really need to hold back when using Kido." He looked at his hands, which were smoking.

"Class." He said, drawing everyone's attention. "What did I do wrong?" No response. The instructor made no visible mistake, and even Kira, Hinamori and I were confused.

The instructor showed his palms to everyone. A large patch of skin was burned off of both. "Look at my hands." Many students gasped, while I just widened my eyes. "I lost control of the power and intensity of the Kido at the last minute and caused a small portion of it to backfire into my hands. A small mistake, certainly, but imagine if you lost complete control. You would end up being hit by the force that just made a hole through that wall."

He pointed. "Power and control. Those are the two most important things when using Kido. The best way to exercise that, is practice. So, we're going to test you on how well you can control your reiatsu currently. Over there are more targets. Group 1 will go first, and after Group 1, Group 2 can go, and etcetera."

He barked out, "Group 1!"

Hinamori and I got up, as well as the 3 other students in the same row. I nervously stepped to the stage, and focused.

I muttered the incantation. "Ye lord… mask of blood and flesh… flutter of wings…" at the side I can hear Hinamori's voice, softly reciting, "ye who bears the name of man… inferno and pandemonium…"

I turned back to my own incantation. "the sea barrier surges… march on to the south! Hado No. 31, Shakkaho!"

A red bolt of fire burst out from my hands, and I felt a slight singe on my palms. But it was mostly successful, as the Kido hit the target, destroyed a bit more than three quarters of it, and dissipated.

Hinamori's was similarly successful, except it hit the edge and destroyed a bit more than two thirds instead. She suffered no burn, however.

The other three lost energy after a few seconds and dropped to the ground.

The instructor listed each one of us. "Kumo, good power, but work more on control. Don't burn your hand next time. Hinamori, good control, decent power, but aim a bit better next time. And you three… that was a complete failure. Practice in your spare time rather just whoring around all day."

"H-hai, sensei!" they all stuttered in unison.

I released my breath, and took my place at the back. Hinamori talked with a classmate.

"Group 2!"

"That was very good, Hinamori-san." The girl praised.

"Nah, it nearly missed. Besides, Kumo-kun hit off a bit more than I did." Hinamori replied modestly.

"Yeah, but he burned his hands." She stated.

There was a sudden burst, and we looked up.

"That guy fired right now?" Hinamori asked.

Kira had just fired, and I saw that he had hit the middle of the target, and only a slight bit of board remained at the very bottom.

"Wow, amazing! He hit the whole thing!" Hinamori exclaimed.

The instructor nodded in approval. "Very good, Kira. Control and power were near-flawless, and you certainly aimed well. It seems some of you here have natural talent in Kido after all."

He walked past Renji, who scowled a bit. I could tell Renji was flustered by the impressive display.

"Group 3!" the instructor yelled.

"Yes, sir!" the five students, including Renji, replied.

They stepped to the firing stage, and it was obvious Renji was thinking something through. He suddenly started shouting at the top of his voice and prepared to fire his Kido.

The next display surprised everyone. He didn't even recite the incantation. He just screamed out, "Hado No. 31, Shakkaho!" and a red burst of flame erupted- except not at the target.

Renji's Kido exploded, blasting small flakes of flame and smoke around, drawing shrieks and cries from the other students.

"What? What happened?" Hinamori cried out, covering her face from the smoke.

"An… explosion? How?" Kira spoke, though mostly to himself.

The smoke cleared, and there was Renji, burned and bruised, his students' kimono still barely hanging on.

The instructor was not pleased. "Abarai… extra practice for after class. It's what you get for going too far and trying to use Eishohaki when you're barely proficient in Kido in the first place."

Renji gurgled out a reply, as if he was choking. "H-hai." Laughter ensued.

I could not help but feel sorry for Renji that day. He had been embarrassed twice today, once in Shinigami Studies, and now here in Kido Training.

I promised to myself I'd give him a few tips later on Kido.

Wow, 12 pages, 3,000+ words. Long chapter.

AU: Heh heh, I liked doing this chapter. It was fun doing stuff involving Rukia and Renji, and I really liked redoing the lessons stuff.

The most serious part, involving the colorless world… well, I have something in mind for that. All of you who have watched enough of Bleach will know what it is, and why it appeared so early… it's basically similar to how Hitsugaya developed his own. Despite the early introduction he won't develop that power until way later, so don't hold your breath.

Please R&R. I welcome all reviews!

*- Baboon, actually. XD

**- An asauchi is the form of a zanpakuto when the shinigami doesn't know its name… I think. Don't hesitate to correct me!

Aka-kami – roughly red hair. Fitting nickname for Renji

PS: When did Renji develop his tattoos? The ones on his eyebrows? I want to know so I can put them somewhere in the early chapters.

And I apologize about the slow pace the story's moving at. There's a lot of background I need to plow through before I get to the more interesting parts.

Next Chapter: A couple more lessons, showing my OC's areas of proficiency, and maybe, if it doesn't turn out too long, the Huge Hollow fiasco. Yep, Hisagi's making an entrance.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hey, folks. This is the 3rd Chapter of my fanfiction. I was actually going to wait a bit for reviews, but I was afraid that the low quality of my first two chapters may have left a bad impression, so… here's my chance to remedy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach anime, but I do own Kiyashi.

Since the line breaks don't seem to be showing, I'll use asterisks to change scenes instead.

The sun was setting. A strange weariness swept upon me as I sat, cross-legged, watching the students, one by one, try to prove to their instructors their talent by showing off their skills in Zanjutsu.

Every minute or so, I took a glance at Renji, praying that the depressed and possibly angry expression would fade, sooner or later. I could not help but feel sorry for the redhead for having the worst first day of school ever.

My thoughts were interrupted, of course, by the sudden smack, turning my attention back to the duel, where one student held his training katana in hand, proudly grinning, while the other lay sprawled on the floor, clutching the shoulder he was hit in.

"Next. Abarai, Kira!" the referee cried out. My heart skipped a beat. Kira-kun was half the reason Renji felt so embarrassed during Kido Studies. I was worried that he would take this chance to get back at him.

And, like many times, I am always right when I don't want to be. Renji grasped his katana in two hands tightly, looking at Kira-kun right underneath his eyelids. He took the first move, giving Kira a swing that almost knocked him down instantly.

I had never seen Renji so aggressive for the year I met him. The person overwhelming his sparring partner no longer seemed like the comical pineapple-head from before, not when in a fight. Kira-kun was sweating, barely managing to parry each strike.

"How horrible…" Hinamori-chan, who was behind me, muttered, "He can't even get his own hits in…"

Renji's attacks grew wilder, almost a wild lash, almost bending his opponent down with the sheer brute force. It was obvious Kira-kun had reached his limit. The next strike…

The final blow knocked Kira-kun's weapon out of his hand, and gave him a sharp and aggressive jab right in the chest, pushing him down and back at the same time.

The referee held up a flag, declaring, "Winner, Abarai!" but hardly anyone was listening. All students nearby, mostly female, crowded around Kira, each one with a concerned look.

"Are you alright, Kira-kun?" many of them asked, and a fiercer looking girl looked up at Renji. "You didn't have to be so rough!"

Renji looked greatly disappointed- it was obvious he had been trying to impress, but his victory had an opposite effect instead.

"Renji-kun…" I whispered, about to follow him as he ran out of the class in frustration, but it was my turn to spar.

"Next, Hinamori, Kumo!"

Helplessly, I picked up the sparring katana Renji dropped before he left, and stood in position facing my opponent.

"Hi, Kumo-kun…" Hinamori said weakly. _She must have been scared from Renji's performance,_ I thought.

"Start!"

We stood there for a few seconds, expecting the other to make the first move, but when Hinamori just stood there, still as a rock, I resorted to ending it quickly and attacked.

My blow was weak from my reluctance to injure her, and it was easily blocked and countered with an attempt to strike my head, which I blocked by raising my blade to my face.

"Not bad, Hinamori-chan." I praised, forcing her back by giving a long swipe.

Hinamori seemed a lot less tense after my comment on her prowess, and her next attack was a lot more concentrated. Realizing I had to get serious too, I blocked her attack and placed my hands around the weapon in a kendo pose.

The spar continued for a short while, certainly longer than Renji's assault on Kira-kun, and it seemed obvious to me that Hinamori-chan was as proficient in swordsmanship as me.

I prepared for another blow.

"Time!" the referee suddenly announced, gesturing for the both of us to lower our blades.

"I didn't realize there was a time limit." I remarked, although I realized it was because the matches all finished far too quickly, though the second last spar had the record.

"And, now for my analysis on your abilities. Ahem." The instructor cleared his throat. "I'm actually quite impressed. Almost all of you have a basic grasp on the proper ways of swordsmanship, and for the less proficient ones, it will be simple to teach you. You may all go. Dismissed!"

I felt calm when I left the sparring hall, ready to enjoy my break, when I remembered Renji's predicament.

Scouring the academy grounds, I finally found Renji, sitting against a tree, but is seems that someone was already there. And they were talking.

Approaching, but making sure I didn't disturb, I saw that it was Kira-kun, who was offering Renji his hand.

"Umm… I'm Izuru Kira." He said nervously- he was talking to the person who beat him up during zanjutsu training, after all.

Renji seemed surprised at Kira-kun. "Handshakes, and self-introduction… you're from a noble family, right?"

Kira seemed to find this an odd question.

Renji smirked. "That ain't my style. I'm Abarai Renji."

Kira-kun looked relieved, as if he had just been relieved of a great burden. "Nice to meet… oh, it's Kumo-kun!"

I stepped out from the tree I was half-concealed behind. "Renji-kun. Kira-kun."

"How long were you standing there?" Renji asked.

"Not long," I replied, sitting down to join them. "I just heard you guys introducing yourselves."

"Oh, okay." Renji drank a bit from his flask. "Che, it's sure a hot day today, isn't it?"

Kira and I both looked at him. "That was kind of random." I commented.

"Huh? What the hell was so random about that? I just said that it was hot, because it is! What's wrong with me stating a fact?" Renji ranted, while I deliberately tried to ignore the spittle flying out of his mouth.

"You lose your temper too quickly, Abarai-kun. Kumo-kun was just asking you why you changed the topic like that."

Renji turned, to look at both me and Kira. "What? I don't lose my temper! I just get annoyed when people say stupid things or ask stupid questions, you know?"

"I don't know," I responded blankly, which Kira found my comment extremely funny.

"Hey, Kira! Stop laughing! You too, Kiyashi! You're makin' fun of me again! Hey!"

And just to add to the levity, Hinamori-chan had to pick a time like this to show up. "What are you guys laughing about, Kumo-kun, Kira-kun?"

"Argh! Not you too, Hinamori! I'm not all that funny! Stop laughing!"

While chuckling, I looked at the setting sun. For once in my life, I was not saddened by the soft glow of the sun being concealed by the mountains.

_There are two kinds of beauty, _Ayame nee-san had told me. _Sad beauty, and beauty that calms your soul. But we're not limited to one or the other. One day, you might wake and see sunsets as a sad but beautiful phenomenon, and the next, a soothing light in the horizon. Only you can truly decide which it is._

_So true,_ I thought. When I sit on the roofs at sunset, I would feel sorrow, but today, the sunset is that soothing light that calms my soul.

AN: Umm… that last bit was kind of… you know. I'm kind of tired and sleepy right now, so it might not be as good as it could have been. I may edit it in the future.

I apologize for the length, not even half of the last two, but I thought it wouldn't make sense for a sudden scene change, so I'll do the next part next chapter.

Wow, I'm actually scared to see reviews now, considering how unconfident of myself is. Don't worry, I'll read them sometime. I welcome any comments on my fanfic.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I'm going to update really quickly because I want to get to the more interesting parts of the story, but if I just try to skip huge chunks, it just seems hurried and not right. Argh… Shinigami Academy part is almost over, though. Promise.

Wow… only 2 reviews, both from the same person? *sad face* Thanks Jp3711nc1!

Oh, and one more thing… HISAGI! Lol. Sorry, I'm a big Hisagi fan, and this chapter will be about the whole Huge Hollow attack thing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, except for the OCs in this story.

My body ached as I dropped myself onto the bed, hands behind my head. The day was fairly stressful, and the duel with Renji didn't really help either.

"_Whoa!" Renji cried out as he narrowly dodged another blow, with my hand tugging out a couple of hairs._

_His own punch had power, but was slow, and was easily dodged and I swung my backhand at him, striking him on the side of the head with the quick hit._

"_That's the fourth." I said, grabbing his fist when he tried to go for my stomach. I tightened my grip, and threw him overhead and slammed him into the ground._

"_AAARRRGGHHH!" Renji shouted as he flew about two meters above ground and landed with a dull thunk._

_I grabbed his hand and pulled him up. Renji brushed the bits of dust off his kimono, relaxing his arms._

"_Sorry, I overdid it." I said to him apologetically._

_Renji shrugged. "Che, it was only Hakuda. If it were Zanjutsu I woulda kicked your ass."_

_I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Want to have a go?"_

_Renji smirked, grabbing his katana off the floor and drawing it. "Sure, but don't blame me when you end up being the one with the bruises this time!"_

_I laughed._

Bending my wrists to ease the ache, I smiled while looking at the ceiling. The pain fading, I was able to fall asleep at last.

I had a dream of the vision in the library, though this time, unlike every other time, this one seemed a bit more like a flashback, or perhaps a replay rather than a dream. I saw that apparition again, and though the surroundings seemed more blurry, the robed mysterious person was still sharp and clear in my thoughts.

I wasn't sure how long time had passed, but I awoke in the night, either due to the ticking of the clock nearby, or the sudden snoring that I realized came from Renji, asleep on the bunk above me with arms dangling down.

Yawning and stretching, and deciding I wasn't tired enough to sleep anyway, I carelessly adjusted my kimono, put on my sandals without wearing tabi, took my glasses, and silently leaving the dorm taking care not to wake any of my roommates.

I wasn't alone either. As I passed through the corridors, I saw a slim, small figure with elbows rested on one of the windows.

It was Rukia. Carefully, I approached her, gently whispering, "Rukia-san?"

She flinched, turning to look at me. The moonlight shone on her face, revealing the strangely sad expression on her face.

I suddenly felt a little guilty for ignoring her all day. We didn't even speak for the entire day except for the first lesson, and after the class got split and Renji and I got placed in the special advanced class, I could barely see her except for the occasional meeting in corridors.

"Oh… Kiyashi. What are you doing here so late at night?" she asked.

I scratched my head. "I... um… woke up in the middle of the night and decided to take a walk around until I got tired."

Rukia nodded, turning back to look out the window.

I stepped behind her, following her gaze. "Rukia-san, what are you looking at?"

Rukia pointed. "Look at the night sky. It's a full moon tonight, and it's so big, so close to us. Beautiful isn't it?"

I looked at it, almost hypnotized by the light glow. "Yeah… it is."

Rukia smiled. Her large violet eyes flickered, reflecting the light. "Even back in Inuzuri, during certain nights, I would sneak out of the window, and climb on the roof to watch the stars and the moon. I don't know what it is about it, but it just fills me with admiration, and sadness."

I turned my eyes from the moon to Rukia. "You too, huh."

"Renji hated it when I sneak out. At first I would step on his face constantly when climbing, and he would make one of his comments about how stupid it is to stare at the sky all night, but I ignored him most of the time. The view is worth it. Even here, I can't resist going out and just watching the whole night."

"Yeah…" I whispered.

Rukia looked at me. "Are you going to stay? I usually watch alone, but I don't mind if you want to watch too."

My eyes widened, and I blushed a little. "Thanks, Rukia-san, but I'm going to go back now. I'm sorry." I turned to leave.

"Oh, okay…" she responded, a little sad.

Renji was awake when I returned to the dorm. "Where have you been?" he enquired curiously.

I didn't look at him. "Bathroom." I lied, removing my glasses and sandals to fall back onto the bed.

I wasn't sure if Renji believed me or not, but he tugged his blanked and wrapped himself in it, turning his back to me. "Fine," he said.

I counted the ticks of the clock, every second that passed, before I finally drifted away.

The sunlight shone on my face, waking me up. The soft chattering of birds and rustling of leaves were in the distance, along with loud snores. It was still early, and none of my roommates were quite willing to wake up just yet.

"Bah," I muttered in disbelief, and dressed myself fully to leave.

As I stepped through the corridors, my thoughts strayed back to last night. Feeling foolish and disgraceful, I argued with myself in my head.

_Fool,_ I thought, _I barely see Rukia-san anymore and I had to say something that probably broke her heart yesterday. What a fool I am._

I cursed myself continuously.

"Aah, I can't take this anymore!" I screamed out, and then quickly covered my mouth, realizing I was lucky enough to have no one hear me.

"Huh?" I looked out the window. The season was passing by, and the large sakura trees were beginning to shed their petals. But something else directed my attention away from the beauty.

Outside the Academy were two shinigami, not students or instructors, but proper shinigami, dressed in the traditional black shihakusho. To my surprise, one of them was wearing a captain's haori.

"What the…"

I made my way to the gate of the academy, where some instructors were already standing. Some were bowing; others were simply standing and staring with awe.

I tapped one of them on the shoulder. "Sensei, who are they?" I asked.

The instructor threw one glance my way, and looked back. "They're the Captain and Vice-Captain of 5th Division, Sosuke Aizen-taichou and Gin Ichimaru-taichou…"

Shocked, I turned to have a better look now that I was closer. The captain was a kind-faced young man, wearing glasses and a hairstyle that gave him a scholarly appearance. A green-hilted katana was tied to his obi.

His subordinate appeared a lot less friendly, despite the expression on his face. His thin-lipped mouth was stretched into a wide grin, while his eyes were narrowed into slits so small I couldn't even see the color of them. His white-hilted wakizashi hung loosely off his side.

Pretty soon, many students had joined in to watch the impressive-looking man pass through them.

"This reiatsu… it's worlds apart from any other I've ever felt…" I whispered, not daring to believe it.

The line of curious students had expanded into a crowd, with people trying to squeeze through each other to see.

"Hello? Hey, excuse me! Could you please move over? What are you all looking at?" it was Hinamori's voice.

I did not bother listening as an instructor nearby spoke to her. Renji and Kira had come too, from behind me, and I managed to catch a glimpse of Rukia at the other side.

As the captain passed through the crowds, the students closest to the gates began to follow.

He stopped when he reached the end of the two lines, and turned to face all of us.

"Greetings, students of the Shinou Academy. I am Sosuke Aizen, Captain of the 5th Division, and this is my vice-captain, Gin Ichimaru. It's good to meet all of you. Now, today I am here to inspect the progress you all are going at as students of this academy, and to make sure that the instructors are teaching and acting up to their expectations. Please go through the day as you normally would, and should you see me in your lessons, continue as normal, though I may ask you some questions during classes. So, can everyone please go to your classes, please?"

As everyone walked away, I heard many people talking about the two shinigami with awe, and the chatter continued even as we entered class.

"Alright, everyone quiet down. Class is starting." The instructor commanded. "Now, please take out your… oh, Aizen-taichou!" he suddenly exclaimed, as Aizen stepped through and smiled at the class warmly. Many of the female students blushed.

"Please, don't mind me. Go on." Aizen said to the instructor calmly.

He nodded. "H-hai, of course, sir. Now then…"

While I worked, I continued to look at Captain Aizen. Turning my eyes a little bit to the right, I noticed that Hinamori, unlike usual, wasn't working like she always would, but was, like me, looking at Aizen, with a look that almost seemed like she was… ogling him?

Shaking my head, I turned my gaze back to the blackboard to continue writing, until I noticed a shadow cover my work.

"May I speak to you?" it was Captain Aizen, looking at me and what I was writing. Looking more closely at him, I noticed that his face was not hard at all, as if he has never been angry ever in his live.

"Uh, yes, of course, sir." I said quickly, trying to think of a response and remember my manners at the same time. I saw Hinamori watching, seeming a little disappointed.

"Thank you. And may I inquire your name?" he asked.

I realized my hand was still holding my pen, and I dropped it on the desk and replied, "Kiyashi Kumo."

"Pleasure to meet you, Kumo-kun. You seem to be extremely well-mannered. Are you part of an upper-class family?"

I shook my head. "No, not even close to upper-class. 78th Western Rukongai."

Aizen seemed surprised at my response. "Inuzuri? I'm surprised someone from a district that lawless could speak so formally."

I shrugged. "My foster sister taught me. Her name's Ayame Kinasuke, in the 6th Division."

"Ah, Kuchiki-taichou's squad. I see." He seems to have misunderstood, but I didn't care to push the issue.

To my left, I heard quiet laughter from two of the class's less disciplined students. They were right behind Renji, and one of them threw a crumpled ball of paper at him.

"What the-?" Renji shot the two of them a fierce look, and spread the paper.

"Aka-pine? Oy, you bastards, who here gave you the right to insult someone like this?" he shouted angrily, drawing looks this way.

"Abarai-kun, don't…" Kira said, pinning his arm down on the table.

"We did, of course! And who gave you the right to dye your hair such a stuuuupid color, Aka-pine?" one of them mocked.

"My hair's a natural color, dumbass!" Renji bellowed.

"Oh, *sure* it is, Akaaaaaa-pine! Here!" they responded, and one of them picked up his ink and threw it all over Renji's hair.

I held my breath. "What?" Renji shot up from his chair, sending drops of ink flying everywhere. "I'll kill you!"

An ugly fight broke out. The instructor finally noticed, but by the time he did, the desks around the commotion were all knocked over, books and ink and brushes scattered all over the floor, and the two students were bruised and beaten, Renji still holding one and punching his teeth out.

"Enough!" the instructor yelled. "Stop it, Abarai. Fighting again! Stop! Stop!" but Renji was still caught up in the fight and couldn't hear him.

It took five students, including Kira, to hold Renji down.

"Take him outside. I'll speak to him later." The instructor said coldly. He then turned to Captain Aizen. "I'm so sorry, Captain Aizen. It's just Abarai. The kid fights with anyone who annoys him."

"It's alright," Aizen replied kindly. "It's not your fault. Fights occasionally break out in my squad building as well. I know what it's like."

"You are too kind, sir." He bowed low, then turned back to the students. "Alright, everyone, back to your seats!"

"That boy's got energy," Aizen commented at Renji, scowling outside of the classroom.

I sighed. "Renji-kun's like that. He's got a really short temper."

"Do you know him well?" Aizen asked.

I shrugged. "Sort of. I don't know everything about him, you're better off asking Rukia-san in Class 2, but I knew him in Inuzuri, always stealing food and water to survive, with a gang of kids."

"Were you part of it?"

"No," I said. "I helped them, sometimes, but I had my own family, in a way, even if it is just my nee-san. I know some things about Renji-kun, but aside from his personality, there's not much else."

Aizen nodded. "I see. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. I'm sure I've taken up a lot of your time."

"Not at all, sir." I said, as formally as I could.

The bell rang.

"Alright, class, pack away and go to your next lesson, now. I want to talk to Aizen-taichou alone. And Abarai," he turned his eyes to look at the doorway, "don't try and sneak away. Hainawa." A long coil of glowing rope flew at Renji and bound him, making him fall to the ground. Many students laughed.

"Oh dear," Aizen muttered with an amused air.

Hakuda Training was as tough as ever, but as I walked out I felt I was taking it easier than the others. Some walked out with bleeding noses, some with black eyes, some with teeth falling out.

When I sparred with Kira, I accidentally lost control of one of my punches and broke his nose.

"Ow, ow," Kira groaned, holding a cloth to his nose and limping- I had also kicked him in a particularly fragile spot on the leg.

"Sorry, Kira-kun. How badly does it hurt?"

Kira looked at me and tried to smile. "Not so bad, now. Compared to right after you punched me, I mean."

Hinamori caught up- somehow she had gotten through the sparring with no bruises, no doubt due to the fact that all her opponents, all boys, were afraid of using full strength in fear of hurting her. "I wonder how Abarai-kun's doing…" she asked meekly.

Renji seemed extremely dissatisfied since the instructor lectured him. During spars, he beat every one of his opponents, but lacked the cocky and proud attitude he wore when he won. I doubted Zanjutsu Training would lighten him up any more.

A surprise waited for us in that particular class.

"Wh-what? Field practice?" I asked, in disbelief.

"That's right," the instructor confirmed. "Today you'll be going to the living world for some field practice on dummy Hollows. You will be taken care of by three sixth-years during the training."

"But… what if real Hollows attack us during training?" Hinamori asked.

The instructor grinned. "Ah, you don't need to worry about that. We have other sixth-years there as well who will set up anti-Hollow barriers to protect you. Even if you ran into a Hollow, the sixth-years will be more than capable of handling them." He spoke again, a bit more quietly. "Or, more specifically, _he'll_ be more than capable…"

Kira piped up. "He? Who are you talking about, sensei?"

The instructor scratched his head. "Well, you'd find out soon anyway, but since you'll probably know who I'm talking about, Kira, I'll spoil it." He lowered his head, so only we could hear. "Shuhei Hisagi is going."

"Shuhei… Hisagi?" I asked.

"Who's that?" Renji questioned, and Hinamori asked the same, but Kira strangely just seemed amazed.

"Well, now's a good time to find out!" The instructor playfully slapped me on the shoulder. "Get going, you lazy bums! Or they'll probably open the Senkaimon and leave without you!"

Renji's eyes widened. "Oh, crap! We need to get going now or we'll miss the training!" He turned and bolted.

"A-Abarai-kun! Wait!" Hinamori cried, before running off herself.

Kira and I followed, rolling our eyes in disbelief.

Rukia was looking at the sakura trees. She felt a little annoyed with herself. She was having such a nice talk with Kiyashi, and suddenly she had to say something to freak him out.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he never talks to me again… AAAHHH!"

She turned, and realized the person that booted her backside was… Renji

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Renji!" she shouted, massaging the spot Renji kicked.

"The hell're _you_ spacin' out for?" Renji responded matter-of-factly. "Don't tell me you still can't fit in with the class even after six whole months."

"What? What about _you_?" she demanded, but suddenly noticed Renji's gear, along with students equipped similarly. She vaguely recognized some of them. Kira and Hinamori, she believed their names were, but she couldn't see Kiyashi. About to ask, she almost slapped herself, and tried to ask another question.

"You're carrying a lot of stuff." She commented. "What are you doing, field training or something?"

"Yep! We're goin' to the living world for field practice on dummy Hollows." Renji explained proudly, grinning at her.

Rukia shouted at him. "That's not fair! _Only _your class? And how come you got into the top class instead of me anyway?"

Renji gave her an annoyed look. "It _is _fair. It's called skill, Rukia. S-K-I-L-L."

Rukia was about to punch him in the face for acting cocky, but he was already leaving. "Ja-na, Rukia! I'll be back once I jump light years ahead of you. Have fun waiting!"

Rukia felt a vein in her head nearly pop. "Fool! I'll be the one to jump…"

"Jump…"

There were about fifty students, I counted. Possibly a bit more, but it became difficult not to lose count after twenty, and hardly worth the effort anyway. The seniors were three older looking teenagers, the boy in the middle being the one who stood out the most with his strange '69' tattoo. He noticed lots of students were looking at him as if he were a legend.

Renji, Kira and Hinamori finally arrived, all of them puffing as they gave sighs of relief at making it in time. "Hey, Kumo-kun!" Hinamori called.

I turned to them. "Where have you been? The seniors had to delay it for the three of you."

Renji smirked. "Making fun of Rukia. Rubbing in the fact that we're going field training in the living world and not her."

_Rukia-san…_ I stopped thinking about it, not eager to show a sign of regret on my face. Instead, I just responded with a half-hearted reply.

The spiky-haired senior coughed. Renji, Hinamori and Kira quickly turned their attention to him. "Now that we're all here, we can start with simple introductions. I am the sixth-year student, Hisagi."

The female senior at his left introduced herself. "I am Kanisawa."

"Aoga." The larger senior said.

"The three of us, the seniors, will be your guides," Hisagi said.

I looked around. Everyone's attention was still on Hisagi. "What's goin' on?" Renji asked Kira. "Those senpai famous or somethin'?"

Kira turned his head. "You mean you don't know? Not all of them, just the one in the middle," he pointed. "Shuhei Hisagi. The first student in years to actually get a squad mission before graduating, and they say he's an extremely promising candidate for becoming a seated officer after his graduation... and they _also_ say he's failed his entrance exam twice when applying for the academy, which would mean my talent would be greater since I passed at the top of the class."

I looked at Hisagi. "He's been given a squad mission before even joining the Gotei 13? Even if he's a talented student, and a sixth-year…"

Kanisawa-senpai called out to us. "Okay, from here on, you'll be split in groups of three, and you will be doing this training in those groups. Those cards you received from the instructor have the number of the group you'll be working in."

"So that's what these number cards were for…" Renji muttered, and at seeing that I had a different number, I was about to walk off and find my own group.

"Groups of three? So where's the third?" Kira asked, looking around.

Hinamori ran to them. "U-um… pleasure to be working with you…"

Renji looked down at her. "Oh, it's just Hinamori."

"It's a pity it isn't groups of four, or we could have had Kumo-kun with us." Kira added, looking my way.

"It's alright. I'll be fine working with whoever I get. See you later," I said, walking off.

"Uh, yeah. See you later." Renji called after me.

Hisagi blew a whistle, gaining everyone's attention. "Okay, now that we're all in groups, we'll give a brief summary on the field training itself."

Kanisawa took over. "In the living world, we have sixth-year students creating a barrier in a reasonably sized area. We will then release some dummy Hollows which you will train your combat skills on."

"Us sixth-year students will prepare a location to fight in, but we won't participate in the fighting. Got it?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good, let's go! Unlock!"

The Senkaimon opened, revealing bright light with no visible footing, group by group, we followed the senpais in.

"_It's starting," a student called out the others, "maintain the barrier's strength! It's common to be attacked by the real thing while training."_

"_Got it." The others called back._

_One student looked at the peaceful surroundings. "This place's a safe zone, though."_

_The leader spoke again. "This is our training, too. Don't relax just because it looks safe!"_

"_Yeah, yeah."_

_None of them noticed the nearly-perfectly concealed reiatsu approaching._

"Hado No. 31, Shakkaho!"

Renji's Kido exploded as he fired it, blasting a portion of the building he stood on to rubble, but the dummy Hollow managed to evade it and run away.

"Hinamori!" Renji shouted across the buildings. "It's going your way!"

The dummy Hollow crawled across the roof of the buildings, ignoring the red glow that it was getting closer to. Hinamori, remembering her flaws when using Kido, aimed the Kido properly, making sure it doesn't fly off course, and released it.

"Hado No. 31, Shakkaho!"

The blast of fire hit the area the Hollow stood, exploding and catching everything within an impressive radius, but the dummy crawled out of the smoke, suffering only minor burns.

"Kira-kun!" she warned, waiting for Kira to strike.

Kira jumped up from his hiding spot, and dropped from meters high up and slashed the Hollow with enough strength to split it in two. The dummy could not avoid this attack, and exploded seconds after it was cut in half.

Kira jumped down to safe footing, where Hinamori and Renji met up with him.

"Kira!" Renji called over, which Kira responded to.

"That was easier than I thought." Renji said, looking at the area the Hollow exploded.

Kira smiled. "It was because of our teamwork. If we were on our own, it would've been tougher."

Renji put his hands on his waist. "Idiot, it would've been a piece of cake on my own too. I could take on a _real _Hollow!"

Hinamori scoffed. "Really? You sure talk big."

Renji frowned. "I mean it! It ain't just talk!"

Kira began to leave, while Hinamori pushed Renji. "Right, right. C'mon, let's go. I want to see how Kumo-kun is doing."

Renji did not react pleasantly to being pushed. "Damn it, hey, don't push me! I can walk on my own."

"C'mon, c'mon."

They walked for a while, when Hinamori felt something ominous.

The two boys stopped. "Hey, what's the matter, Hinamori?"

Hinamori decided to ignore it, whatever it was. "No, nothing. Let's go."

I sheathed my blade, and began to walk back to the rally point after destroying the dummy. My two partners were ahead, talking about how well we did.

I could feel something strange though. Not just unknown reiatsu. Something else.

_Bloodlust?_ I thought. No, it couldn't have been. I turned and continued walking.

"Looks like everyone's gathered." Hisagi said, counting.

"'Bout time to pull back," Aoga agreed.

"Looks like everyone finished safe and sound." Kanisawa added.

Hisagi turned on his communicator. "This is Hisagi at the rally point. Barrier team, what's your status?" … "Hey, respond!" … "What's wrong? Barrier team? Can you hear me?" … "Hey, answer! Hey!"

"What's wrong?" Kanisawa asked.

Hisagi turned the communicator off. "Something's wrong. The barrier team isn't responding…"

Kanisawa turned upon hearing a sound, and gasped, "Hisagi!"

Hisagi turned, and what he saw shocked him more than words could tell.

Renji, Hinamori, and Kira were heading back.

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

Renji, shocked, looked ahead. "What was that?"

"Let's go see." Kira suggested.

They agreed, and ran towards the rally point at top speed.

The scream spread through nearly the entire area, and even I heard it despite being the furthest from the rally point.

"What the…" I focused. "Kanisawa-senpai's reiatsu disappeared! And this reiatsu…*"

I stopped dragging my feet and ran towards the source of the sound.

All the students backed away in fear.

Renji and co. made it to the rally point, and were stunned by what they saw. "What… what is _THAT?_"

It was a hollow… but it was immense, nearly the size of the building next to it, and almost twice the girth. And in its talon was Kanisawa's corpse.

It threw the body impaled on it aside, and looked back at the other sixth-years.

Hisagi drew his sword, cursing. "Damn, a Huge Hollow? Impossible? How could we not have sensed it approaching?"

Aoga, next to Hisagi, made a move. "You bastard, killing Kanisawa!"

"Wait, Aoga!" Hisagi warned- too late.

One jab, and that was two sixth-years it killed with two swipes of its arms.

Hisagi turned to the freshmen. "Run away! Get as far away as you can!"

The students did not hesitate to obey.

"_That's_ a real Hollow?" Renji stared. He turned and ran, but Kira was frozen in his feet. "Idiot! What're you doing! We gotta run!" Kira, snapping out of it, followed his friend.

The thing was so big I could see it from a mile away.

"A- a Huge Hollow? It got through the barriers?"

The freshmen were running away, and I ran towards a student who wasn't running.

"Hinamori-chan? What's wrong?" Hinamori turned to me with a confused expression.

"What's going on? Why's everyone running?"

Hisagi narrowly blocked the first hit, knowing he would have died, if the attack came anywhere close to hitting.

He turned communication back on. "Soul Society, requesting assistance! This is the sixth-team student leader, Shuhei Hisagi! I'm under attack by a Huge Hollow at the living world point no. 1026 northwest, mark 2128!"

The Hollow opened its mouth, charging a cero.

"Why… why is everyone running?"

Renji and Kira, who passed her, stopped in their tracks to turn to Hinamori, who was frozen in place.

"What're you doing, Hinamori-kun! He told us to run!" Kira cried out to her.

"But…" Hinamori whispered.

"Hinamori!" I shouted. "That's a Huge Hollow! If Hisagi-senpai can't hold it off, it'll catch up to us in mere seconds! We need to get away while we still can!"

"But…"

"We've no choice! Two sixth-years got killed in an instant!"

"But…!"

She ran towards the rally point.

"Hinamori!" we all called after her, but to no avail.

Hisagi had underestimated the thing's strength. With one effortless swing, it had broken through his defensive stance and knocked him against the wall.

He was injured as well, clawed, three scars on his face that made sight difficult.

"Damn… I can't see anything… past the blood…"

Everything was tinted red.

The Hollow charged another cero, and there was no way he could dodge them this time.

He used every muscle in his body to avoid the blasts coming at him, but they were getting closer and closer to hitting, and running around won't work much longer. If he wanted to survive, he had to fight back.

He jumped up, aiming for the Hollow's mask, but it simply knocked him away like he was a fly.

As Hisagi regained his stance, the Hollow split its claw into countless segments.

"Just great." He muttered sarcastically, "Take this!" he charged top speed at the Hollow, aiming for another strike.

He was dead if this failed.

As Hisagi's time blurred between life and death, a sudden sound of metal clashing surprised him.

The three freshmen, Kira, and Renji, blocked the descending claws, while the girl, Hinamori, stopped the blades from beneath.

"You guys…!" Hisagi said, stunned.

"Forgive us!" Kira apologized in a strained voice from blocking the strong creature's attack. "We are disobeying orders!"

"We're here to save you, so overlook this, alright, senpai?" Renji continued, knocking the claws aside along with Kira.

"Ye lord!" they all chanted. "Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man! Inferno and pandemonium…"

The hollow prepared to strike again.

The three bellowed at top voice. "The sea barrier surges, march on to the west!"

"HADO NO. 31, SHAKKAHO!" they all casted their Kido simultaneously, and all succeeded, even Renji's

The explosion made the Hollow flinch, but it didn't hurt him. But a split second was enough.

"Let's go, senpai, while we have the chance!"

I followed after them, cursing and cursing.

_Damn it, damn, damn, damn it…_

_Kira-kun… Renji-kun… Hinamori-chan…_ I thought. _Fools! What do you think you could do to a Huge Hollow like that?_

I have to make it in time. I don't know what I can do. But I have to!

"How could such a big-ass Hollow get so close?" Renji asked.

"I'm not sure. I've never heard of it, but… it might have been hiding its reiatsu!" Hisagi replied through deep breaths.

"We can't defeat that Hollow with our strength! What do we do?" Kira said, continuously looking back to see if it caught up yet.

"I've requested assistance from Soul Society." Hisagi said. "We need to avoid it until help comes!"

They reached a crossroad, and found that the reiatsu here was immense.

"What's going on?" Hinamori asked.

Hisagi's eyes widened. "The surroundings… they're deforming!"

"What the hell's this immense reiatsu? It's not just one, it's multiple! Five, six, eight! Is that even possible? Eight Huge Hollows?"

I ran, and found the others. Hisagi-senpai, as well as Renji and co.

"You guys!" I shouted

A burst of reiatsu suddenly appeared alongside the others. I turned slowly, and saw the huge hollow that they were originally running from.

_Damn!_ The hollow attacked, and slashed my foot as I jumped back.

_What can I do? I have to try something!_ I concentrated, trying to keep away my fear. "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and tear out your own throat! Bakudo No. 9, Geki!"

A red light surrounded the Huge Hollow. It shook and struggled for a while, and was bound into a position.

_Did it work?_ I gasped. The reiatsu binding the hollow began to destabilize, then shattered, like fragile pieces of glass.

"Shit-!" I tried to avoid, but it was too quick. It destroyed my katana with a slash, and nearly my arm with it.

"Hado No. 4… Byakurai!" I screamed out, and fired the kido with my good arm, hitting the Hollow in the face with a bolt of lightning, but with hardly any damage.

The claw swung down.

AN: Well, what do you think? If you noticed, the parts which were essentially just things from the anime. I tried to make it more interesting, but it didn't work. Some of the lines I messed around it, but that's it.

Phew, 22 pages, 5,500+ words. Longest chapter yet. It's obvious what's going to happen to my OC next chapter, but I thought this was a good place to stop it.

I may have messed up Aizen's personality a bit, but it's hard doing it perfectly, so I just tried to make him act as nice as possible. This was a fun chapter.

And about the whole Rukia/Kiyashi thing… I dunno where I was going with that. Kiyashi does have a slight crush on Rukia, but it's like a high school thing, not going anywhere.

Please R&R! I won't be able to know how well I'm doing if you don't review!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I'm getting this Shinou Academy arc over with as soon as possible. The arc afterwards will be infinitely more interesting and original. There'll be this one long chapter outlining near the end of this arc, as well as a shorter one afterwards.

Sorry for the ones who are bored out of their mind, but this part does need to be done, or the whole story will not make sense.

And, since my line breaks and asterisks don't seem to be working, I'll have to find another way to separate scenes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its contents.

Xxx0o0xxX

"_Shit-!" I tried to avoid, but it was too quick. It destroyed my katana with a slash, and nearly my arm with it._

"_Hado No. 4… Byakurai!" I screamed out, and fired the Kido with my good arm, hitting the Hollow in the face with a bolt of lightning, but with hardly any damage._

_The claw swung down._

Xxx0o0xxX

"It called its friends…" Renji growled, looking up at the sheer number, over half a dozen Huge Hollows, surrounding them with no chance for escape.

"No… that's not possible…" Kira muttered, starting to clutch his head. "I don't wanna die… I don't wanna die!"

"Kira? Pull yourself together, Kira!" Renji shouted at his friend.

It was no use. Kira's mental stability seemed to have broken down from fear, as he let out a long, tortured scream.

_Drip. Drip._

Something dripped from above onto Renji's head. "Rain?" he brushed his hand against it, and found that it was blood. He looked up.

"Wha-?" a blade, ridiculously long and thin, was impaled inside the head of one of the hollows.

Xxx0o0xxX

The claw descended.

_Damn it,_ I cursed again. It was over. I used the last of my strength, and it was not enough. I failed. This Hollow… it would start with me, then take its turn on my friends… my nakama.

My sword arm hurt so much, and so little, that I wasn't sure if it was properly attached anymore.

I didn't dare look up. I didn't even dare opening my eyes. If I saw my blood, the pain would multiply hundredfold.

Don't open my eyes… don't…

I wasn't sure how many seconds passed. Why? Why doesn't it hurt? Was it so fast I couldn't feel pain? I opened my eyes.

I gasped. The hollow was covered in countless slashes, so deep that one could see them on the other side. Who did it? It was only a few seconds. Which master swordsman has saved me?

Blood was pouring from the dying Hollow like a fountain. I slowly got up, using my katana as a support with my good hand.

Suddenly it hit me. _This reiatsu…!_

I turned. As I thought, it was…

"I'm sorry, Kumo-kun. We were late."

Xxx0o0xxX

The blade dislodged itself from the Hollows head, as if it had a life of its own. It retracted over their heads, emphasizing how long the blade was.

"Sorry for the delay. We're here to help."

Hisagi was stunned. "You two gentlemen are…"

It was Aizen-taichou, and the mysterious wielder of the extending zanpakuto was his vice-captain, Gin Ichimaru, still grinning, as always.

Aizen approached the students, and affectionately patted Hinamori's head. "You endured well. You must have been scared. It's all right now. Now you can rest and leave the rest to us."

They continued onwards until they stood face to face with the Hollows.

"Whoa," Ichimaru puffed, "this here's quite a number of 'em. _Shoot to kill, Shinso._"

Xxx0o0xxX

He released his zanpakuto, which instantly extended at rapid speed, piercing through all the Hollows without slowing its pace for even a split second.

I watched the Shikai's incredible power almost split all the hollows in two in many ways, bifurcation, slashing, piercing, it was almost mesmerizing watching the blade almost dance in the air.

"One, two, three…" I counted as it instantly destroyed three hollow.

"Four… five, six, seven…" It reached the last Hollow, but suddenly stopped.

The final Hollow went for Captain Aizen, who was not even facing its direction. It attempted a punch, which he simply blocked with the palm of his hand.

He pushed his palm a little against the Hollow's punch, and it exploded and disintegrated into dust.

"That wasn't Kido… It wasn't even Hakuda! No way… he really did that with just his reiatsu?"

I couldn't think further as the pain from my right shoulder brought me to my knees and burned away my consciousness.

Xxx0o0xxX

Aizen turned and smiled warmly at the students, while Hinamori was staring with admiration. Renji and Kira swallowed, but hearing a dull thump, they turned, and saw Kiyashi sprawled on the ground.

"Kiyashi!" Renji shouded, running to his side.

"Hold on a moment, Kumo-kun…" Kira tore off a piece of his uniform and tried to bandage some of the great injury.

"_Ahem_." Kira turned his head. It was Ichimaru-fukutaicho.

"Allow me ta treat him, please."

Xxx0o0xxX

I awakened with a stinging sensation on my wound, but no more than that. The wound has not been treated with healing Kido, but has been cleaned and had someone apply medicine to it.

"Kira…-kun? Renji-kun?" I mumbled, looking at the faces above me.

"Ah, you're awake, Kumo-kun." Kira said, his face looking less concerned.

"What… happened? I'm not dead?" I asked, though it was a silly question to ask.

Renji shook his head. "Ichimaru-fukutaicho treated you. He said it wasn't the best treatment, but since it was only an arm, you'd be able to walk back and get it healed properly."

I rubbed it. "It doesn't feel that bad now. I thought the wound would be fatal."

Kira, who had walked off, came back. "Here. It's your katana."

I grabbed the sheath with my injured arm, and drew it slowly. It ended about a third of the blade's length, the area where the Hollow broke it.

"Damn… I failed badly…" I swore.

Renji punched my good arm. "Don't berate yerself. Don't forget, it was a Huge Hollow that managed to kill two sixth-years. The fact you managed to hold it off for that long is impressive enough."

I sheathed the asauchi. "Yeah." I got up.

"Hey, what're ya…" I ignored Renji and stepped behind the vice-captain, who had his back turned.

"Um… thank you very much for saving us." I said quickly.

Ichimaru chuckled. "Ah, don't mention it. I was jus' doin' my job as 5th Division vice-captain, ya see?" He turned, and gave me full view of the huge smile on his face. "Yer a very nice kid. What's yer name, then?"

"K-Kiyashi Kumo."

"Ah, I know ya now. Yer the 6th Division's Ayame-chan's otouto, aren't ya?" he said cheerfully.

"Uh… Hai. You know my nee-san?" I asked.

Ichimaru touched my shoulder. "I like ta make a habit of knowin' people. Yer sister's risen ta 6th Division 5th Seat, did ya know? I know pretty much ev'ry seated officer in the squads."

"Oh… I see." I was a little frightened of him, mostly from his expression. It looked… evil in the moonlight.

"Anyway, I haven't introduced myself properly yet. I'm Gin. Gin Ichimaru."

"Gin, huh…" _Weird name._ I thought to myself. _It makes sense, though, looking at his hair._

"Now…" Captain Aizen spoke to all of us, "I'm going to escort you all back to the Academy. I'm sure you all want to have a night of rest, and for Hisagi-kun and Kumo-kun, you both have injuries to take care of. Now… Gin…?"

"Hai, hai." Ichimaru brought his zanpakuto up, stabbed it into the air, and said, "Kai!".

A Senkaimon opened, along with hell butterflies. Aizen stepped in, beckoning everyone to follow.

Xxx0o0xxX

The next few days passed like a dream, as if they were barely real. This twisting sense of unreality lingered on me until the days off finally came.

"So, Kira-kun, what're you going to do for your days off?" Hinamori asked Kira.

Kira looked thoughtful for a while. "I don't know… I don't really have any family to visit, I might stay for the lessons around here. From what I hear, Aizen-taichou sometimes comes in to teach calligraphy."

Hinamori gasped. "Aizen-taichou teaches calligraphy… here?" She picked up her bag and her katana, and began to rush off.

Kira tried to stop her. "But… Hinamori-kun, weren't you going to go back and see your family in Junrin'an?"

Hinamori laughed. "Nah, Shiro-chan acts like he doesn't like me coming back to visit all the time. If I don't bribe him with watermelons, he probably won't let me go back even if I wanted to."

Kira looked at her with incredulity. "Hinamori-kun… that has to be the strangest brother you could ever have."

Hinamori shook her head. "He's just kind of grumpy most of the time. He's actually really cute when you spend time with him. I can go back to see him next time, but learning calligraphy with Aizen-taichou… I can't wait! Bye, Kira-kun, Kumo-kun, and Abarai-kun, say hi to Rukia-san for me. Bye!"

Kira looked at her blankly. "I forgot to tell her the lines are ridiculous… and that Aizen-taichou only teaches calligraphy _some_ of the time…"

I blinked. "So… who teaches it the rest of the time?"

Kira gave me the most depressing look one could imagine. "You don't wanna know…"

Renji scratched himself. "Aah, forget Hinamori. So, what're you gonna do, Kiyashi?"

My answer was obvious. "I'm going to the 6th Division building to see my nee-san. What about you, Renji-kun?"

Renji groaned. "If I could, I'd get Rukia and drag her out and try out the food around here in the Seireitei, but it's so bloody hard to find her in the Academy I'll probably waste the whole day looking for her."

I sweatdropped. "Err… do your best."

"I could go with you to the stalls here." Kira suggested.

"Huh? You, Kira?" Renji looked at Kira's build, from up to down. "Yer so skinny… I can't imagine you going around the Seireitei takin' a bite outta everything. I think I'll look for Rukia. You can tag along if you like."

I shrugged. "In any case, I'll be going now. See you tomorrow, Kira-kun, Renji-kun."

I picked up my bag, hauled it over my shoulder, and made my way out.

Renji took off the opposite direction. "Aah, if I wanna find Rukia before sunset, I'll have to start lookin' now. What a pain in the ass."

Xxx0o0xxX

"How's the sweets?" Ayame asked me.

I took another bite out of the taiyaki. "It's nice and sweet. How do you afford to buy this food, nee-san?"

Ayame smiled. "Kuchiki-taichou may not seem like it, but he's a kind man. He pays his subordinates well, and give us better living conditions than other squads."

"The Kuchikis are one of the Four Great Noble Houses, right? I see…" I looked at the sweets. "Nee-san… how are you doing now?"

"What do you mean?" Ayame asked, concerned.

"You're a ranked officer now, and on top of that, quite a high rank. Can you really handle the weight of such a job? I don't know what I'd do without you…"

Ayame looked at me for a while, and started laughing. "Oh, otouto, you should think more clearly. If my job's hard, would I be sitting here with you sharing candy? I'm happy how I am. I have a feeling of contentment every time I save a soul or I purify a Hollow, knowing that I've done a good deed in life. You don't need to worry about me. Just focus on being a successful shinigami yourself, okay?" She patted my head, and ruffled my hair a bit.

"You really should grow out your hair. I think you'd look better with shoulder-length hair."

I gave my hair a slight tug. "I've been thinking about that… oh yeah," I remembered the other reason I came here. "During a Zanjutsu lesson, I had a field training session, and…"

I told her everything, about the training, and the Huge Hollow, and how I suffered a great injury. I hated how her expression changed to one of shock.

"Huge Hollows? Eight of them?" she pulled at my kimono, exposing the scar that was there. "What happened after you got that injury?"

"I was saved… by the 5th Division's Captain and Vice-Captain."

Ayame widened her eyes. "Aizen-taicho and Ichimaru-fukutaicho?"

I nodded. "Can you tell me anything about them?"

Ayame thought for a second, the tip of her index finger touching her chin. "Aizen-taicho is a good man, kind to his subordinates. I've got friends in 5th Division, and they say they're honored to be serving under him. And Ichimaru-fukutaicho…" she hesitated.

"Nee-san?" I asked.

"I have a friend in 10th Division." She said. "Rangiku Matsumoto. A good friend, but very lazy and ditsy at times. She and Ichimaru-fukutaicho are best friends since childhood, but… I don't know. His subordinates are loyal to him, but I've seen him speak with Kuchiki-taicho, and mostly he just talks about random topics and doesn't stop even when Captain turns and walks away. And his grin is just freaky."

_Yeah,_ I thought. _No arguments there._

I spent the rest of my time with nee-san talking about my friends, Hinamori-chan, Kira-kun, Renji-kun, and Rukia-san.

Xxx0o0xxX

Byakuya Kuchiki was passing by his current 5th Seat's room. Kinasuke-goseki was a capable shinigami, and a possible for his next vice-captain, as his current one has retired.

But, passing by, he heard something that shook him deeply. It was Kinasuke-goseki, with her younger brother.

"…and Rukia-san, she's as short-tempered as ever, but she's really a good friend…"

For once in a long time, Byakuya was surprised.

"Rukia…?"

Xxx0o0xxX

I carried a bag of candy and snacks left over and made my way back to the Academy. When I passed through the corridor, I saw Renji by the window, still as a statue and as pale as a ghost.

"Renji-kun? What's wrong? Did something happen with you and Rukia-san?" I asked.

Renji turned to me, and the expression in his face was sadder than I've ever seen in any face.

"Rukia… she's…"

Xxx0o0xxX

_Renji ran through the corridors, almost bumping into other students, but his natural reactive time kept him from crashing. Seniors passing by shot him disapproving looks, but he didn't really care. He ran through corridors, stairways, doorways, until he reached that room._

_He stopped in time before crashing, and opened the door._

"_Rukia! You in here?"_

_He gasped, and his eyes widened._

_There were five people. One was Rukia. One was a strange elderly man. One was nobility- he could tell from the attire and especially… the Kenseikan. A special hairpin with a pearl-like shine. The other two were likely bodyguards, from the staves they carried and their identical attire._

"_Oh?" the elderly man turned to look at Renji, who always felt out of place beside nobility. "It seems we have been interrupted."_

_They turned to leave. "We will be hoping for a favorable answer." The elder finished as he was leaving._

_Renji felt shock as they passed by him, but the noble wearing the kenseikan was the greatest shock of all._

"_His reiatsu is immense… it's as high as Aizen-taichou's…"_

_The noble passed by him without sparing him a glance._

_When they had finally left, Rukia looked to her best friend helplessly._

"_Uh… Rukia. That was a really tense atmosphere back there." Renji said, trying to lighten the mood. "Who were they?"_

_Rukia tightened her grip. She said her next sentence as quickly as she could. "The Kuchiki clan has offered to adopt me into their family."_

_Renji was almost struck down by astonishment._

" '_We'll graduate you right away,' they said." Rukia looked up. "What… do I do, Renji?"_

_Renji thought hard. In the end, he swallowed his pride and made his decision. "This is great, Rukia!" he shouted out, trying to encourage her. "The Kuchiki clan is one of the Four Great Noble Houses! You really hit the jackpot!"_

_Rukia listened as Renji babbled on, knowing inside that he's not truly meaning what he's saying._

"…_and if you get adopted in a place like that, you can spoil yourself stupid! I wonder what kinda food the nobles eat! Wow! Damn, I'm jealous! Plus, you get to graduate right away! Oh, man, I'm so jealous it's pissing me off! Amazing! Just amazing!"_

_Rukia was barely listening anymore. "I see…" Renji was still talking, not noticing the tears starting to well up at first._

_She removed his hands from her shoulders. "Thank you…" and almost like a spirit, she drifted off, away from him, and away from his life._

"_Rukia…"_

Xxx0o0xxX

"I… I let Rukia go. I thought it would have been the best for her. I want her to have the best, so I let her go. I let them take her away!" He grabbed me by my arms. "What would you have done, Kiyashi? Please, tell me! Am I a coward to let her go, or was it the right decision? I don't know! I just… don't…" releasing me, he continued to look outside the window. Tears dripped from his eyes. "After all… I'm just a stray dog… and she's the moon in the sky that I howl towards at night, but can never reach… I'm so pathetic…"

I touched his shoulder gently. "Renji-kun…"

I stood there with him, until his tears stopped falling.

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: This chapter was fun to write. I changed a lot about the plot, like how my OC is the one who unintentionally told Byakuya where Rukia was, and some minor changes.

And the weird Xxx0o0xxX thing is my replacement for my line breaks, which don't seem to be working.

Please R&R, and here's a little omake I made involving Calligraphy Class.

Hinamori cheerfully strolled to the room where Captain Aizen apparently taught his occasional calligraphy lessons. She was surprised at how popular it was, as the students wanting to participate lined up all around the corridor.

Willing to do anything to take this lesson, Hinamori stood in line, not noticing that almost ninety percent of all the students were female.

Eventually, it was her turn, and she happily entered the classroom, almost skipping, only to find out a shocking truth.

Sitting at the instructor's table was not Captain Aizen, but Captain Kuchiki, and the girls who were supposedly taking Calligraphy class actually just used this as an opportunity to stare at the Captain all day.

"Hey, Hinamori-san!" one of the freshmen students called to her. "Come here sit next to us!"

"Wha… what…" Surprised beyond words, she passed out on the floor of the classroom.

Yeah, I know, not the best. The idea was great on paper, but it was hard to write, and I'm not the best writer of humor.

Hooray, the Shinou Academy arc is almost over! Next arc: The Ancient Arrancar Arc! Those who play the Bleach console games will know which Arrancar I speak of.

Read and Review, because I need your criticism for this fanfic to be successful!

Ja-na!


	6. Chapter 6 Part 1 of 2

AN: Wow… 200 views and only 3 reviews? Makes me sad. Improving my writing is really difficult without criticism, since I can only guess at what I'm bad at.

Anyway, this is the last chapter of the Shinou Academy arc.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its contents.

Xxx0o0xxX

_Sixth year of the Academy._

Renji and I were both sixth-grade academy students now. Ever since Rukia was graduated during first year, Renji had been acting extremely gloomy and melancholic. We sparred more often, due to his request. He acted less cocky when winning or beaten, instead replaced with a determination to get stronger.

_Renji swung his blade again, barely scraping the top of my head, slicing off some of my hairs. I made a roundhouse kick at his legs, knocking him off balance._

_To my surprise, Renji used his sword to regain control while falling, and did a backflip to stand up straight again._

"_Don't hold back." Renji requested of me. I nodded, charging at him, readying my sword, and blocking his attack from the side. I kept his sword away using mine to block it, while getting closer._

_Renji pulled his arm back, but he was too slow for me. I touched his forehead with my index finger. "Hado No. 1, Sho."_

_A blast of energy knocked him off balance. He was flung back painfully, and what I expected to just be a strike with lots of knockback but no damage turned out to have been less controlled that I thought._

_Renji's forehead was bleeding. I bent over and pulled him up. "I'm sorry, Renji-kun, I overdid it."_

_Renji looked at me fiercely. "One more time, please."_

_I shook my head. "Renji-kun… we've already had seven rounds already. If we keep this up, we'll hurt ourselves." I turned to leave, but Renji stopped me._

"_Please." I was surprised. I had never seen Renji beg anyone so pleadingly. I sighed, ignoring the strained muscles pulling at my arms and legs._

"_All right…" I let out a breath. "Here I come."_

I looked at the cuts on my hands and fingers. "Renji-kun… why? What are you trying to prove, pushing yourself so far?"

I looked at the mirror. I had grown out my hair to shoulder-length in the past year, as opposed to the shorter hairstyle that only reached down to my ears. I changed my glasses as well, from the thick black-rimmed glasses to ones with thin lenses, and barely visible silver rims.

"We all change." I said to my reflection. "Whether for better or worse, who can tell?"

With a resigned sigh, I pulled the cloth above the mirror over my reflection and turned to leave the dorm.

I was actually amazed at how quickly the six years passed. In just a few more hours, the graduation would take place, and we would be assigned to squads based on our areas of expertise.

I saw Hinamori and some friends in a classroom as I passed it. She had grown taller, and let her hair grow and tie it into a bun. She looked less childlike, but it was the only thing that was different. She was still as timid as ever.

Kira, who was in the library reading a book on haikus, had changed profoundly since our third year. He acted less cheerful each day, as well as having a sudden interest in poetry. He didn't bother growing his hair for a long time, and had a large amount of it cover half of his face.

Everyone had changed, some less than others, but change still lurks in our hearts, eroding our past selves and replacing them with who stands now.

Xxx0o0xxX

Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, said to be the most ancient and powerful shinigami to have lived, stood in silence, while his other captains all took their places, as still as he.

Captain Soifon of the second division stood in silence.

Captain Ichimaru, recently becoming the captain of 3rd Division grinned as he observed his fellow senior captains.

Captain Retsu Unohana, of the 4th Division, a gentle woman, calmly waited.

Captain Kuchiki of the 6th stood with his eyes closed.

The 7th Division's captain, Sajin Komamura, a large character wearing an obscuring helmet, stood still as if he was not even there.

Shunsui Kyoraku, 8th Division captain, patiently stood, humming a quiet tune.

The blind captain of the 9th Division, Kaname Tosen, stood in his place next to Komamura with a serene expression on his face, only vanishing when he turns his head to the captain to his left with distaste.

The 10th Squad had currently lacked a captain.

11th Squad's captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, looked around and shuffled continuously out of boredom.

At Zaraki's opposite was 12th Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, a skeletal-looking man who tapped his feet impatiently while occasionally sneering at other captains.

13th Squad's captain, Jushiro Ukitake, is a frail man with tuberculosis, and was currently recovering in his estate, Ugendo.

The large doors opened, drawing eyes from some of the less bored captains.

5th Division's Sosuke Aizen stepped through. "Everyone, my deepest apologies for making you wait."

"Hmph," Kurotsuchi said. "Whatever you asked us to gather for, make it quick. I have many things happening at the Department that require my attention."

"Been dissectin' somebody again, Kurotsuchi?" Zaraki asked.

"I wouldn't expect someone of _your_ small and limited intellect to understand." The 12th Squad captain responded insultingly.

Zaraki shrugged. "Che, you're right, I don't understand. Why you think we're all completely blind," he shot a look at Tosen, "to what you're doin' in your squad building."

"Oh?" Kurotsuchi grinned, stroked the bronze protrusion on his chin. "And what exactly is it you think you would know, Zaraki?"

Yamamoto slammed his cane at the ground. "Enough. We are gathered here under request from Captain Sosuke Aizen, not listening to you argue like children."

Zaraki and Kurotsuchi looked displeased, but they went back to their positions.

"Thank you," Aizen said politely.

"So, what have you called us here for, Aizen? Something to do with the hollow attacks on souls in the Rukongai?" Soifon asked.

"Hai," Aizen replied. "I've inspected all the districts numbered from 70 and above, and what I have found is extremely disturbing."

"What would that be?" Tosen asked.

Aizen bowed his head down a bit. "The residues of reiatsu in the districts that have been attacked… most are from common Hollows, but there were traces of Menos Grande amongst them."

A few captains looked surprised. "My, my…" Kyoraku muttered, pulling down his straw hat.

"Menos Grande? How could it be possible to not notice them?" Soifon inquired. "After all, the dangerous districts are patrolled by the Onmitsukido, and I've heard no mention of such a thing!"

Aizen shrugged. "I do not know. But, there's something more disturbing." He made sure all the captains were paying full attention. "In the most dangerous district, North District, Zaraki, there were faint, nearly undetectable traces of an unidentifiable reiatsu that almost seemed both shinigami and hollow at the same time."

"Oh? Fascinating." Kurotsuchi was finally looking at Aizen directly. "This has certainly piqued up my interest. Go on."

Aizen nodded. "I had taken a look in the archives of Soul Society's history afterwards, and what I found was extremely strange. The reiatsu, from a sample collected many years ago, belonged to…" he faltered.

Zaraki clicked his tongue impatiently. "Well? What is it?"

"The reiatsu traces matched a sample that seemed to have been archived a thousand years ago, and it belonged to…

…an Arrancar by the name of Arturo Plateado."

TO BE CONTINUED...

AN: I apologize for the shortness. That place just seemed appropriate to end it, and I thought a scene change would completely ruin it.

Anyway, this new arc will be called the Ancient Arrancar arc, taking place shortly before the beginning of the real Bleach storyline.

I'm releasing the next chapter really soon, because the next chapter will be like the second half of this chapter. I'll get started on it as soon as I post this one.

Please R&R!


	7. Chapter 6 Part 2 of 2

AN: Part 2 of Chapter 6.

PS: The shitagi is a shirt you wear inside your other clothes, and the hakama is a pair of trousers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, but I do own my OC, Kiyashi-kun.

Xxx0o0xxX

The graduation ceremony was starting in an hour, and the sensei, Gengorou Onabara, was giving us the final lecture for the end of our six years of training and learning.

I yawned. Listening to long, winded speeches was never for me. I turned my head slowly, and saw that Renji was on the verge of falling asleep, while Kira next to him was simply staring at the sensei blankly.

"…and I would like to congratulate you all for successfully passing our six-year academy curriculum. Few make it to this stage in the academy, and those that succeed may turn out to be talented individuals. Even when you leave this academy and become a full-fledged shinigami, you should always keep your lessons at heart. I hope you will all do your very best as the defenders of the Soul Society." Onabara-sensei ended, greeted with applause from many students. About one-third of the students that sat in this room six years ago were still here, the rest having failed their tests and deemed unworthy of being shinigami.

The instructor at the right cleared his throat. "Alright, when I call your name, please go through this door and be given your information and official shinigami shihakusho. Izuru Kira-kun, Momo Hinamori-kun, Renji Abarai-kun, and Kiyashi Kumo-kun."

I stepped out of my seat, walking down the stairway and following the others into the door.

The path took us through a long, winded series of corridors, with no doorways at the sides or even any ornamentation.

"Here we are," the instructor said. Inside was a dark room with blue-black walls that seemed inky, and sat at flat wooden desks were three middle-aged men, dressed in black shinigami kimono and wearing a plain white coat over it.

"There has been a strange circumstance involving the assigning of your squads. We were going to place you three," the shinigami in the middle pointed at Kira, Hinamori and Renji, "in separate squads according to your grades and data showing your areas of expertise. However, due to a request and a change of decisions by the Central Forty-six, Izuru Kira, Momo Hinamori and Abarai Renji, will be assigned to Sosuke Aizen-taichou's 5th Division."

"R-really?" Hinamori gasped in disbelief. It was obvious that it was a dream come true for her.

"And as for Kiyashi Kumo," he pointed at me. "For showing expertise and prowess in the field of stealth, Kido and Hakuda, you shall be assigned to the 2nd Division, under Captain Soifon of the Onmitsukido. Please go to the next room now to acquire your shinigami equipment."

We were taken to a brighter room filled with shihakusho hanging off racks at every part of the room, of all sizes, some small enough to fit children.

"Wow, amazing!" Hinamori exclaimed. "So many shinigami uniforms!"

A female shinigami crawled out from beneath a clothing rack. "Hi, students. If you're here for shihakusho, you have to tell me your name, height and assigned squad, so we can find the right kind for you. Most squads shihakusho are identical, but some squads, like the 2nd or the 4th, differ slightly."

Renji stepped forwards. "Renji Abarai, squad 5, and height… I think I was six feet when I last checked..."

The shinigami nodded. "Six feet… go over to the rack labeled '20' and find one that fits you. There are different styles of shihakusho, but if you're looking for ornaments or something, you'll have to get them at other clothing stores in the Seireitei. We only supply average unornamented uniforms."

"Okay…" Renji walked over to one of the racks and pulled one off, going over to one of the changing rooms to try it.

"Next."

"Momo Hinamori… squad 5, and height… four feet five, I think." She said meekly.

"Four feet five… try the ones for females over at rack '7'. There might be some there."

"Thank you…"

Kira spoke. "Izuru Kira, squad 5-"

"Another one?" the shinigami scratched her head. "It isn't often I have three students in a row from the same squad. Ah, but if it's Aizen-taichou, then I have to call you lucky…"

Kira continued. "Umm. And height… I'm probably five feet five now."

The female shinigami scribbled it down on her clipboard. "Lucky you, we've got more five feet robes than we know what to do with. Racks 12 and 13."

"Hai…" Kira left me to go find a shihakusho for himself.

The shinigami looked at me. "Don't tell me you're 5th squad too?"

I shook my head. "Kiyashi Kumo, 2nd Division, five feet seven."

"Second division…" she looked at me with something that resembled pity. "Onmitsukido, huh… hope you're not in the Keigun. Those guys might as well change their name to 'suicide bombers.' Anyway, Rack 14."

_Suicide bombers?_ I wondered what she meant, but went to the rack next to where Kira was and began fishing through it for a good sized shihakusho.

Xxx0o0xxX

We walked out of the academy gates, dressed fully as shinigami. Renji looked pleased that this day had come, while Hinamori and Kira simply talked to each other while walking.

"Now, to get to the squad buildings…" I looked closer at the map, and sighed. "It looks like my squad building's the opposite direction." I folded the map and handed it to Renji.

"Hey, where're…" he began to speak.

"I'm going to go see my squad. See you around some time."

Renji blinked. "Oh… okay."

Xxx0o0xxX

There were already many new recruits there, about thirty or so. They looked rather lost, acting as if the building was less than they expected.

I looked around, and admitted to myself that it was not like the 6th Division barracks. It had the same look in the inside, but far less ornamented. The uniforms were strange as well. Aside from the less loose hakamas and the long sleeved shitagi inside my shirt, as well as the mask that hung loosely around my neck, the entire uniform just felt tight yet less restraining than the student's uniforms at the academy.

I flinched as I heard the door slide open from behind me.

I was surprised to see a person that was completely the opposite of what I expected from a stealth force member. Fat, large, clumsy heavy steps, and eating rice crackers while making a highly audible crunch in each bite. When not loading his mouth, his finger would stray up above his mouth and pick his nose.

"Yo. You're all the new recruits?" he grunted. "The Captain ain't here yet, so I'll be introducin' myself first. I'm Marechiyo Yoshiayamenosuke Nikkōtarōemon Ōmaeda-sama, but for you peasants you can call me Omaeda-sama!"

I sweatdropped.

"I'm the _vice-captain_ of 2nd Division, and the leader of the Patrol Corps of the Onmitsukido. Now, before you all get any funny ideas, you should remember this; I'm the one who's in charge of the stuff here in the barracks! Ha! So you'd better show me some respect from here on! And I'm warnin' ya, the two things I hate most are one, callin' me fat, 'cause I ain't fat! I'm _plump_! It's a sign of good growth and wealth! And the second thing I hate most, slackers! So you'd all better not slack when I'm around, or… aaaaahhhh!"

A fist had collided with Mare… err, Omaeda's face, reminiscent of how Rukia used to always punch Renji when he annoyed her. I was surprised to suddenly see a strong, sharp reiatsu that I could not sense approaching before.

The woman, who I assumed to be the Captain, was petite and slender, wearing the captain's haori. I could notice barely that her shihakusho underneath did not cover her shoulders.

"You're noisy, Omaeda. I could hear you while entering the squad building. It actually helped me find where you were." She said coldly to her vice-captain.

Omaeda rubbed his bleeding nose. "S-Soifon-taichou!" he gasped between deep breaths.

Soifon shot him a piercing glare. "I don't remember giving you the permission to speak for me towards the new recruits. Know your place, Omaeda, or I'll reconsider my decision on allowing you to be vice-captain."

Omaeda widened his pig-like tiny eyes. "Y-yes, Captain! I… I mean… no, captain… aah! I mean… it will never happen again!"

"Good." Soifon said. "Then go somewhere and make yourself useful."

Seeing the captain cowing Omaeda and shutting him up both impressed and frightened the other recruits. "She's scary…"

She gave us a look that plainly said 'you haven't seen how scary I can get'.

"As my… _vice-captain_ may or may not have told you, I am Soifon, captain of the 2nd Division and current leader of the Onmitsukido. I will be blunt with you, I do not see how is it you all managed to graduate from the academy. Many of you appear to be shivering just from my presence. Stay still!" she commanded.

"H-hai, captain!" many of the recruits said. I stayed silent.

"Do not think of yourselves worthy of addressing me so yet." She said darkly. "The Onmitsukidō is the secret forces that protect the Soul Society. Those that are willing to join should know that to accept means you must be unafraid of anything."

Many of the recruits looked with fear.

"Do not show fear. You may have learned from the academy, '_do not seek beauty in battle. Do not seek virtue in death. Do not make the mistake of considering only your own life. If you wish to protect that which you must protect... ...slice the enemy you must defeat from behind._' The law of the Onmitsukidō follows a different commandment. '_If you see your allies losing, that's your chance. Don't step between them. Take the enemy down from behind. And if the enemy is so strong you can't even do that, then just watch your ally be killed. That's what it means to be Onmitsukidō.'_ Understand? If you are to be a part of the Onmitsukidō, you must be willing to strive in this law. The question you must ask yourself is; 'are you willing to die for the sake of the Soul Society?'"

I heard people gulp audibly. I thought hard on what Soifon-taichou said, then remembered back with the female shinigami.

"_Onmitsukidō, huh… hope you're not in the Keigun. Those guys might as well change their name to 'suicide bombers.'_"

I quieted my mind and listened to what Soifon-taichou would say next.

"If you are not, I will not stop you from saving yourselves. I will not even call you cowards like you are. But if you don't take this chance, you will not be able to turn back. Once you're in the Onmitsukidō, you will not be able to leave the squad by your own choice. And if you run…" Soifon drew her zanpakutō. "I will personally hunt you down. With this."

She slid a finger over the wakizashi's blade. "Jinteki Shakusetsu… Suzumebachi." Her weapon glowed, and began to change shape into a gold and black glove with a long golden stinger on one of her fingers.

"This is my zanpakutō, Suzumebachi. Its power is called 'Nigeki Kessatsu'. Death in two strikes. It is the ultimate assassination weapon. Consider this my warning; should you try to flee after your 'contract' has been signed, you will not get out of the front door before you are slain by me." She smirked at seeing many faces pale. A knot of strong fear tied in my heart, one that I tried hard not to show.

"So, I will ask you again, are you willing to stay, or live?"

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Soifon is just so… cool. I was afraid of making her OOC. Maybe a bit too aggressive? Nah. I dunno. What I wrote didn't really feel like 'her' at first. Anyway, fairly fun chapter, and my OC sure is a brave one. Some action next chapter.

Please R&R…

PS: Wow, I actually had to copy and paste Omaeda's name because it was just so long. Hope your eyes don't hurt trying to read it. And don't try pronouncing the whole thing.

Jinteki Shakusetsu- Sting to death

Nigeki Kessatsu – Death in two strikes, or two steps instant kill.


	8. Chapter 7

AN: The start of the Ancient Arrancar arc. This chapter will hopefully have some action. I'm guessing the whole thing might be about 7-10 chaps long.

Oh, yeah, and OC's zanpakutō is coming. I think you can guess how.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its contents. However, this story and its OCs are my creation.

Xxx0o0xxX

_Hueco Mundo. A vast plain of white sand, the sunless sky a black void, with only a cruel moon glowing like a demon's face._

_The hollows that roamed here were beasts, of little rational thought. The large devoured the small, the strong devoured the large. The only way to survive… is to eat until you're too strong to be eaten._

_What was the point of living like this? It's not life, it's a cruel existence. An existence without purpose._

_Underneath the sand was a black darkness. It was called by some, the cage of demons. It was not far from the truth, the Forest of Menos._

_The Forest of Menos was a place where the unwanted were thrown, and also the breeding ground for Adjuchas. Here, Gillians created by the minor Hollows above congregate, until their hunger takes over and they devour each other, creating a more powerful entity._

_The Arrancar felt the light breeze in the forest of dead trees blow his turquoise hair backwards, while his robes fluttered gently. He watched as the 'trees' around him shifted into Menos._

"_You dare cross me?" he rasped. "Ah, well. I'm still weakened anyway. I'll devour you all." The Gillians, stupid creatures as they were, charged ceros aimed at him._

"_How pathetic." He said, as the blasts of cero fizzled away from the Arrancar's vast reiatsu. "Drink of their blood… __**Fénix.**__"_

_The intensity of the spiritual power erupting from his zanpakutō crushed the Gillian's physical forms, until only their spiritual energy remained, flowing into the Arrancar's own._

"_Yes… at last, my power is slowly, but surely, returning…" He concentrated, finding the reiatsu of the Menos, Gillian and Adjuchas, nearby._

"_Obey. Obey my command." He telepathically commanded the hollow, and one by one, they were drawing closer to him, like moths to a flame._

"_Finally, come, my army. We shall take my revenge… on the Soul Society."_

Xxx0o0xxX

_The Keigun, the Executive Militia. The force of the Onmitsukidō that specialized in the most dangerous tasks out of possibly any of the Gotei 13. They were trained killers, skilled assassins. Every member of the Keigun knew they would one day die by their task. That was why they showed no fear in battle. In a way, they weren't really alive. That was why they were called 'suicide bombers'._

"North Rukongai, 79th District, Kusajishi," a newly assigned Keigun commented. "The last Hollow attack was somewhere here, right?"

"Yeah," his friend replied. "The hollows only seem to appear in the more dangerous districts for some reason."

I listened carefully, using shunpo to move from one tree to another. For a group of assassins in training, the new recruits talked a lot.

"But, it's not like it matters much in districts like this, where violent souls kill each other by the hundreds anyway." A third shinigami added, looking at the many dead bodies on the ground below them, some slashed, some beaten, some clawed, all dead.

"Yeah, but…"

"You're talking too much," Soifon-taichou's voice called from ahead. "We want to surprise the hollows, not the other way around."

"Y-yes, ma'am!" they replied.

I sped up my shunpo a few more steps, just enough to catch up with the captain.

"Captain." I felt for reiatsu. "They're near."

She nodded. "Yes. They're probably near the small gathering of houses ahead." When she continued, she was partially speaking to herself. "Why would they be there, though? No one's lived there for ages since the massacres started. They should be where there're more souls to devour."

"Could they be looking for… something else?"

She jumped down from the trees. "Only one way to find out. Hurry up, let's go!"

I replied obediently. "Yes, ma'am!"

Xxx0o0xxX

We were in deep shock when we made it to the area where the reiatsu is covered.

"I-impossible! There's nothing here! But… I clearly sensed them! I still can!" Soifon looked around, seeing no hollow nearby. Not a thing.

A spike in the reiatsu patterns erupted in the patterns. "What… is this reiatsu? It's immense! Far above captain level!"

Soifon turned in the direction it came from. "It's in Zaraki… you four, go find out what that reiatsu was!"

As it was an order from a commanding officer, I ran forth without question.

"But… but, that reiatsu level is crazy! The four of us…" one of them complained.

"That's an order! You cannot disobey!" Soifon shouted back at him.

Reluctantly, the three others followed after me, using shunpo to make up for the time lost.

Soifon turned her back on us. "Come out, you damn Gillian."

The surroundings began to blur, surrounding Soifon-taichou with Menos.

"I need to finish this in time…"

Xxx0o0xxX

Dead bodies littered the ground where the Arrancar stood. Blood spilled like rain, then moving like a river.

"Hmph. These weak souls soil my Fénix… but even the slightest drop of reiatsu aids me in recovering." He looked at his katana.

"Just a little more… and I can destroy them all…"

Xxx0o0xxX

"_Arturo Plateado?" Komamura asked._

_Zaraki scratched his head. "Arrancar? What's that?"_

_Aizen closed his eyes and pressed his forehead with his palm. "An Arrancar is a Hollow… which has gained Shinigami abilities by breaking their mask. That's what the word 'Arrancar' means. "A ripped face". This particular one, Arturo, has gained power after existing for over a millennia… but that's all I know."_

_Yamamoto nodded calmly. "That is all right, Aizen-taichou. I can elaborate on the rest."_

_Kyoraku sighed. "Yama-jii…"_

"_Arturo Plateado is an ancient foe who had invaded the Soul Society a thousand years ago, when the Gotei 13 was much different from how it is now. He desired power, and this hunger for power had manifested in his sword. His zanpakutō had the power to drain away the reiatsu from whomever it kills, not only stealing their power, but interrupting their cycle of reincarnation as well."_

"_What?" Tosen exclaimed._

"_Oh, interesting." Kurotsuchi mumbled. "Complete absorption of reiatsu, so that no part of them passes on back to the living world to be reborn? This Arturo sounds like a fascinating test subject."_

"_With the power he gained from killing, as well as the power he had naturally, he was able to fight the entire Soul Society with an army of Menos… and single-handedly slaughtered six captains."_

"_I-impossible!" Soifon shouted. "He slaughtered half of the Soul Society's military force?"_

"_In the end," Yamamoto gave Byakuya a look before he continued. "I was able to seal Arturo away, along with the five remaining captains, two of them being Kuchikis, and drain away roughly ninety-percent of his reiatsu. It seems, however, he has gotten free somehow."_

"_He's a Hollow with immense reiatsu, so what?" Zaraki asked._

"_It's not as simple as your mind is able to comprehend, Zaraki." Kurotsuchi commented rudely. "A hollow that gains shinigami powers from the influence of immense reiatsu, or vice versa, has broken the limits of power for both sides. Unlike us pure shinigami, who will reach a limit eventually, Arturo will continue to grow in power, without fear of hitting that wall."_

"_What should we do, soutaichou?" Aizen asked._

Xxx0o0xxX

We made it towards the source of the immense output of reiatsu, and it directly influenced us, making sweat flow out of our pores.

"No… way…" one of the other's gasped, as if choking. "It's at least five times more powerful than when we first sensed it…"

The Arrancar looked at us with cold amber eyes. "Shinigami? With pathetic amount of reiatsu like that, there's no point dirtying my sword anymore with your blood." He turned towards us, increasing is reiatsu even more.

"You are of no use to me. Die."

My fellow Keigun members collapsed around me, their feeble reiatsu unable to handle the crushing energy being released around the Arrancar. I could still breathe, albeit difficultly, and I was somehow able to stand, despite the reiatsu bending me like a giant hand.

"Oh?" I looked up, and the Arrancar had used a shunpo-like move to appear right in front of me. "You've had a taste of my reiatsu at high output, and you're still able to stand? Not bad." He kicked me on my stomach, causing me to cough out blood onto his robes.

"Tch, you filthy shinigami." He growled, running his finger down the blood. "Strong, or not, you are still an insect, but as you have such a nice amount of reiatsu, I have decided to give you the honor… of dying by my blade." He drew his katana. "Remember my name as you die. It's Arturo Plateado."

I got up, trying to resist the strength of his spiritual energy.

"Hmph. You seem to have some power." He held his sword in a stance. "Fight! It will increase the pleasure of killing you at last!"

Unable to hold my composure at last, I fell, knees locked to the ground.

"Pathetic," Arturo sneered. He used the tip of his sword to lift my head. My face showed not fear, but defiance. "You endure well, but… I have no mercy for lowly worms." He raised his blade.

"Die!"

_A white flash._

I was in colorless Inuzuri again, the surroundings blurry and intangible. It was the same lonely feeling, but the apparition of the robed person looked more real, his voice more clear.

"_That is it."_ The two synchronized voices spoke. "_You have learned._ _Show no fear in the face of death. Show no uncertainty when looking death in the eye. One must endure pain to transcend death. You and I are one, who would know you better? Do not turn away from death. Face it, endure it, and you will survive. Running will only delay it, turning away is only ignorance. Call my name, Kiyashi! We are the bridge that crosses over death! Call our name, so we may hand you the chain to that bridge! Call it!"_

Xxx0o0xxX

Arturo's blade seemed slower as it descended, slow enough so that I could raise my blade and defend against it.

"What?" Arturo's eyes focused on my zanpakutō, which began to change before their eyes. "The hilt weaving… it's turning black… and the crossguard…" The tsuba of my blade melted and reformed, changing from the average rectangular shape to a round oval ring, welded together to the katana with four small bars.

I could hear the name clear in my mind now. It rang in my ears, an angry power waiting to be released.

"Obscure… Kurokage."

The blade began to stain black from the handle up, releasing a large amount of energy as it released into Shikai.

"What's with his reiatsu? It was barely noticeable before! And it's so dark… and dense… almost black… It's almost like a Hollow's!" Arturo jumped back, surprised by the rate my reiatsu increased.

I could no longer feel my wound hurting. It seemed as if the reiatsu I emitted was numbing the pain. I watched as the rest of my blade turned a pure, dull black, and the dark stain began to spread to the rest of the zanpakutō as well.

"To develop this much reiatsu just by releasing your zanpakutō… quite impressive…" Arturo whispered. "What is your name, shinigami?"

I could feel my eyes burn with determination, my reiatsu challenging his. "You don't need to know."

Arturo snarled. "Wha-? Huh?" In an instant I shunpoed behind him, leaving a light cut on his pale cheek.

Arturo felt the wound, then grinned. "This is a first. I haven't had someone cut me for a while. Allow me to congratulate you for your achievement… and reward it with your death!" He lunged at me, blade first, reiatsu bursting.

"I don't think so." I raised my katana, Kurokage, into the air, blade down, and pierced it into the ground. _I don't know how I'm able to do this… I guess you just know sometimes._

Arturo, seemingly panicking from seeing me make a move, picked up his pace. "Drink deep of his blood, Fénix!" A crushing blast of reiatsu released from his zanpakutō, but he was suddenly halted in movement.

"What?" he looked down. "What is this?" In his shadow, were unbreakable bonds of deep black rope were tied to his leg, completely devoid of light and reflections.

I released my hold on my zanpakutō. "I didn't know how this technique came to me… I just felt it come to me after I released Kurokage. Those ropes are not ropes. It's the tip of my blade."

"What?" Arturo demanded.

"My Kurokage manipulates shadows through my reiatsu. It is attuned to it, hence, only I can control them. As long as I still have reiatsu, those bonds will not break." I said, raising my hands. "You called me a lowly worm, did you not? Then… while you haven't recovered your reiatsu, I will take this advantage… and show you what it's like… to be killed by a worm!"

I gathered my newly gained reiatsu, prepared to use it in Kido. "Here goes… I've never tried this Kido before, but it should work…

Sprinkled upon the bones of a beast… Sharp tower, red crystal, steel wing… Move and become the wind, halt and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!" Reiatsu transformed to lightning in my hand.

"Damn ITTTTTTTT!" Arturo screamed, pulling at his leg, but it was trapped, completely, by my zanpakutō's power.

I calmly looked at him. "It's over. Hado No. 63, Raikoho."

A huge blast of yellow lightning erupted from my hand like a cannon, striking him full blast.

Xxx0o0xxX

I waved my hand, flapping away the smoke caused by my Kido. I walked over to my zanpakutō and dislodged it from the ground.

"_Too bad, shinigami."_ I gasped. It was Arturo's voice. Before I knew it, an enormous slash cut down at me, nearly amputating my left shoulder.

I looked through half-lidded eyes at Arturo, grabbing at a handful of my shadow ropes.

"You don't seem to understand how I got free of your ropes and completely dissolved your Kido." Arturo said coldly. He showed his blade, my blood freshly dripping off it. "Let me give you a clue. My Fénix drains the reiatsu of anyone it kills, because it can only drain reiatsu if the enemy's physical shell is destroyed first."

My eyes widened. "You seem to understand now. Your shadow binds and Kido were both just a large mass of reiatsu, and hence, using my Fénix against them will completely nullify it. In the end, it was your arrogance that killed you, shinigami!"

The blade descended again. _So like that day…_ the day I was almost killed by that Huge Hollow…

The sound of steel clashing surprised me. I raised my head to look at my savior, and found that a white haori obscured my sight.

"S-Soifon-taichou?" I gasped, seeing Suzumebachi blocking Arturo's blade.

She smirked at me, and put a considerable difference between us and Arturo.

"Good work for surviving, Kumo." She praised me, albeit a bit roughly.

Arturo looked unimpressed, watching Soifon-taichou and her chipped Suzumebachi. "Who are you?"

She turned to look at him. "2nd Division Captain and Commander-in-chief of the Onmitsukidō, Soifon. It'll be the last name you hear, Arturo Plateado."

"Oh?" Arturo eyed her. "It's a good thing you've come here, then, if you're a captain. The obliteration of Soul Society will begin now, starting with you! Fall before my Fénix and beg for mercy!"

Soifon-taichou began to release large waves of reiatsu. "Captain…" I began.

"Get back, Kumo. Against an enemy like him… holding back is impossible. Keep away from the battlefield, or you'll… die!" she commanded, her reiatsu suddenly reaching her peak.

"What are you going to do?" Arturo asked.

Soifon ignored him. "Ban-kai!" she cried out.

Suzumebachi glowed, and a metallic gold fluid covered her arm, hardening again and forming a gold-and-black armor on her right arm, while the stinger enlarged to many times its original size, turning into something that resembled a missile. The reiatsu emitted from the new weapon rivaled the passive energy Arturo emitted.

"Jakuho… Raikoben!"

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Soifon's Bankai! You have to admit, her Bankai is pretty cool. Too bad it's a do or die sort of thing. If you miss, you're screwed.

Anyway, about the whole increase in reiatsu, the reiatsu was actually always there, but Shikai was needed to unlock it. And a short summary on Kiyashi-kun's zanpakutō.

Kurokage(黒影) literally Black Shadow) is a kido-based darkness-type zanpakutō. It uses Kiyashi's reiatsu to create a conduit between the tip of the blade and the opponent's shadow. The tip can emerge through the target's shadow as multiple blades or reiatsu ropes. The ropes can only be broken by forcing the target's own reiatsu inside and 'rot' it that way. There are limits, though. Kurokage can only affect one enemy at a time(unless the two opponents' shadows are crossing), and if any part leaves the shadow's boundaries (touches sunlight), it dissolves. It is best used at night time or in caves, where the tip of the blade can emerge anywhere light does not reach.

As for powers… well, I won't be spoiling it. XD

Please, please, and I hate sounding like a broken record, but please review. I welcome constructive criticism as much as praise!

Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 8

AN: Thanks for the reviews. Kurokage was an idea for a zanpakutō I've thought of for a while now, so it was pretty easy to put it in.

Second half of Arturo fight. Sorry about how it's so short.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its contents.

Xxx0o0xxX

"Bankai. Jakuho Raikoben." Soifon's hand was coated in an elegant golden armor, with an enormous missile attached to the gauntlet.

"So… that's your Bankai?" Arturo eyed it. "It's rather large for something I expected from the captain of the stealth forces. Judging from the shape, it's a projectile weapon, isn't it?"

"Correct." Soifon-taichou aimed the weapon at him. I watched as reiatsu gathered in the missile. "Jakuho Raikoben is a cannon that fires a missile with extremely concentrated reiatsu to create an enormous explosion. Normally it would be dangerous for me to use it, but I've taken precautions." She lifted her haori a bit, exposing a silver sash tied to her.

Arturo raised his sword. "So what if it's a powerful ranged attack? I'll just cut off your head before you get a chance to let it off!" He made a slash, which Soifon avoided using a shunpo.

"Hmm…?" He looked at the heavy footsteps left on the ground when she moved. "You're moving rather slowly. That Bankai really is as heavy as it looks, then."

Soifon was sweating and panting. It was obvious that even that short-distance shunpo was a strain for her. "Captain…" I whispered. She looked towards me. "You don't seem to be hearing too well… I told you to get out of here…"

I got up, holding my zanpakutō with my uninjured arm. "But…"

Soifon smashed the bottom side of her Bankai into the ground again. "Don't worry about me. My Bankai and the Ginjohan underneath my clothing are weighing me down, but I haven't gotten started yet." She leaned heavily on Jakuho Raikoben. "Go!"

I remembered I was a member of the Onmitsukidō's executive militia, and was to obey the commands of a superior officer no matter what, so I obeyed.

Xxx0o0xxX

Arturo made no move. "He's running away. I'm not interested in him anymore, anyway. Once I kill you, I'll have enough power to get rid of a thousand ants like him."

Soifon pulled up her Bankai and aimed it. _I haven't used this Bankai for a long time. I hope I can still do this…_

Arturo stepped forward. "I'm not going to dodge. You can give me your best shot, but no matter what you do, my Fénix will prevail over any of your power."

"Your arrogance will be your death." Soifon replied coldly, the missile glowed red, and detached from the gauntlet, pushing her back with heavy recoil while blasting towards Arturo.

"What is this?" he said blankly. Half-heartedly, he raised his katana again to block the projectile flying towards him. His expression changed considerably when it hit his blade, however. "T-this is-!"

Soifon lowered the launcher of her Bankai. "It's no use. I know your zanpakutō has the ability to absorb attacks formed from reiatsu, but it won't work. Jakuho Raikoben is a hollow shell that gathers reiatsu inside it and releases it at the time of impact. When it hits, the shell will disintegrate and release the energy inside. You would not be able to drain enough…" she watched emotionlessly as the missile exploded. "…before it ignites and destroys you."

As the explosion began to spread, Soifon removed her Ginjohan and jumped back just outside of its radius of damage.

The smoke cleared, but Arturo was still standing, though there were burns and bruises covering his body. "Damn… you…"

Soifon was surprised. She expected that one missile to completely obliterate the Arrancar. He didn't even fully defend against the blast, yet he survived with mostly minor injuries.

"Heh…" Arturo watched in amusement as the after effect of her Bankai took effect. "You didn't even get caught in the explosion, and yet you look even more exhausted than I do." He closed his eyes. "I see. The force and the sudden enormous taxation of reiatsu takes its toll on your body. From what I've seen, you would have enough reiatsu to sustain your attacks for two more shots, before you completely run out of energy and die."

_He figured out my weakness after just one missile?_ Soifon clenched her teeth. _This is bad… not only have I seen how little effect Jakuho Raikoben has on him, but he'll be more cautious next time. I can't guarantee he'll stand still and take the next shot._

"But…" Arturo used his sonido to appear behind Soifon, slicing her left leg. "If I kill you when you're out of reiatsu, I won't get anything off your corpse. I have to get rid of you now, while you're still above fifty percent!"

"Goodbye, Captain-san. Be proud that you have died by the hands of Arturo Plateado, and that your power will be a portion of that which will crush Soul Society… in my hand."

Xxx0o0xxX

_Clash._

I didn't know what possessed me. Kurokage was blocking the strike from Arturo meant for Soifon-taichou.

I pointed my finger at his chest, right underneath his hollow hole. "Hado No. 1, Sho!"

I managed to blast Arturo a good distance away, taking advantage of his lowered guard, caused by my sudden appearance.

"You came back? How foolish."

"Idiot!" Soifon screamed. "Why did you come back! You've lost use of one of your arms, and your reiatsu has been depleted to its minimum! Do you want to die?"

I lowered Kurokage to chest level, running a finger along it. "…forgive me, Captain. But you weren't quite right. I never left in the first place. I was watching… and I have found out his weakness. Thank you, Captain."

"What… what do you mean?" Soifon asked.

"I've found a weakness, and made a plan that might work. I need the power of your Bankai, Captain. This may only work once. Please."

Soifon held her left leg as she lifted herself. "What do you need me to do?"

I stabbed the blade of Kurokage back into the ground.

"That again? I told you, I've already found a way through it!" Arturo slashed down at the ropes binding his legs, only to find that they didn't break. "What?"

"You weren't the only one observing the opponent's power. While we fought, I realized something. After I snared you with Kurokage's ability and hit you with a level 63 Kido, you said you had nullified the effects of both with the power of your zanpakutō. But, why didn't you try to cut my shadow ropes when they first appeared?"

"Why… I didn't…?" Arturo gasped. "It can't be! You realized…"

I started channeling my energy through the blade. "It was likely because you couldn't. After I hid myself, I thought back on my own reiatsu patterns. The entire time I had continued to flow my reiatsu through this zanpakutō, except for when I finally went on the offensive with Kido. It was an opening. The moment I stopped fueling and strengthening the ropes, you were able to cut their flow and break free, then destroy my offensive Hado as well. But what will you do… if I continued to strengthen the binding, while another… aimed a high-density reiatsu explosive at you?"

Soifon-taichou was behind Arturo, an new missile charged, ready to fire.

"Damn it…!" Arturo shouted, tugging as the ropes ran up to bind his arms as well as his legs.

"Now! Soifon-taichou!" I called out, giving her the signal.

Jakuho Raikoben launched, and the moment it struck Arturo, I pulled my katana out and shumpoed away next to Soifon.

The explosion was larger this time, so much that we both had to continue to escape the smoke.

When the energy stopped expanding, we stopped, turning back to look to the middle of the crater.

Arturo was still standing, barely, one arm limp, broken and useless, bleeding from all over his body, robes torn and scorched.

"You… sh… shinigami… no… one… makes… fool… of… me…!" he held his zanpakutō up horizontally, increasing his reiatsu even more.

"What?" We were both knocked off our feet by the blasting force of the sudden spike in reiatsu.

"I am drawing the reiatsu I have taken from those I've slain directly from Fénix. Now… see my power!" A pair of green reiatsu wings began to form at his shoulder blades, his hair extending a small amount, and his zanpakutō growing longer and straighter.

"Forget killing you…" he rasped. "For your impudence… a little less reiatsu is inconsequential… I'll completely erase you from existence!"

He pointed his blade at us. "Cero!"

A wide red cero began to charge in his hands, and launched at a great speed, giving us barely any time to react, or dodge.

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Yes, I know how that's probably not how Soifon's Bankai works, but there was no explanation to start with, so I just made up one myself. I apologise, again, about the shortness.

Please R&R!


	10. Chapter 9

AN: I apologize for the poor quality of the previous chapter. It was kind of hard bringing that fight to a close, but it'll be better this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, the anime.

Xxx0o0xxX

The cero was wide, fast, and there was no time to dodge.

"Forget killing you… I'll completely erase you from existence!"

The light of the cero glared through my eyelids, a fierce red. As it got closer, however, a sudden silhouette appeared before it, and deflected it with a strong stab of reiatsu.

"What?" Arturo gasped, seeing his cero disappear.

"My, my. I am surprised, Arturo, that you yet possess so much power despite having been sealed away for a millennia."

Arturo scowled. "You… Genryuusai-Shigekuni Yamamoto!"

The Captain-Commander himself stood before us, a large 'one' written on his haori while he leaned on his bulbous cane.

Another two shinigami followed, both captains. They were Shunsui Kyoraku-taichou of 8th Division and Jushiro Ukitake-taichou of 13th Division.

"Are you alright, Soifon?" Ukitake asked Soifon.

Soifon-taichou got back up, her Bankai dissipating into gold dust, leaving only her sealed zanpakutō. "Mostly. Why is the Captain-Commander here?"

"You don't have to say it so harshly," Kyoraku said. "With such huge bursts of reiatsu exploding here, who could not notice?"

Suddenly, my heart pumped hard once, my reiatsu depleted, causing me to fall to the ground, unconscious.

Xxx0o0xxX

"Soifon, this child…" Ukitake said, looking down.

"He's my newly appointed 3rd Seat." Soifon replied, not entirely truthfully, as the 'promotion' was decided after the battle.

Kyoraku chuckled at her, seeing the truth. "Yama-jii… he's looking even more serious than normal…"

Yamamoto looked at Arturo with one eye open. "Arturo Plateado… it has been a long time."

Arturo's wings glowed brighter, emphasizing his anger. "Yamamoto… I owe you a debt of pain for that imprisonment… and I thought I would have to tear through the Seireitei to get to you. Who would have thought you would come out here, looking for your death?"

Yamamoto did not move a muscle. "Do not speak out of your league, child. You may have been powerful a thousand years ago, but right now, here, I am many times your superior."

"What?" Arturo asked, a ripple of energy flowing through his green reiatsu wings.

"Now, now. Calm down. Yama-jii's speaking for real here. From what I heard, you lost a large amount of your power when you were imprisoned." Kyoraku said, "You certainly have a lot of reiatsu, but I'm guessing it's only about thirty percent. It's impressive to sense, and you could certainly take out one or two captains with ease, but… could you face off against all three of us, one being the Captain-Commander, while wounded by Soifon-taichou's Jakuho Raikoben by being hit twice?"

Soifon's eyes widened. "How long have you been watching?"

Ukitake turned, smiling. "Long enough. This child… he has power. And Soifon… we haven't seen your Bankai for a long time."

Yamamoto knocked on the floor with his cane. "Further talk is pointless! Arturo Plateado, I will give you no time to regret!" He raised his cane, and the wood on the top began to shed. Burning hot reiatsu emerged. "Reduce all creation to ashes, Ryuujin Jakka!"

The blade began to ignite into flames as it was drawn, to near uncontrollable proportions, creating a huge burning ring of flame around Arturo and Yamamoto, keeping even Ukitake and Kyoraku out.

"Genryuusai-sensei!" Ukitake began to protest.

"Stay back, Shunsui, Jushiro!" Yamamoto called out from the flames. "I shall finish this personally. You would be caught in the crossfire."

Arturo sneered. "Finish this quickly? You underestimate me, Yamamoto. Once your reiatsu is drained by Fénix, nothing in this pathetic world be able to stop me anymore!" he charged another cero. "Die!"

Yamamoto opened his other eye. "It is you… who is underestimating me." He waved his hand across the flames.

Arturo was distracted, his cero stopping its charge. "The flames are closing in?"

The flames burning on Ryuujin Jakka's blade faded, and Yamamoto sheathed the sword. "_Yazuhomura no Orochi._"

The flames split into eight identical segments, and began to grow in height, still closing in, until the speed increased, and the flames collided, creating a great pillar of flame. Each one gathered up energy at the top of the pillar, until it erupted, causing eight meteors to shoot back down at the target trapped between the flames.

Arturo screamed, as the flames overwhelmed him and burned him like flames from hell itself. The fragments of meteors flew in all different directions.

Ukitake chanted, "Hado No. 81, Danku!" which defended against the flying meteors, but each one lodged itself in the barrier, making a crack.

Kyoraku pulled down his hat. "Yama-jii's really overdoing it. Again."

The smoke cleared, showing a completely scorched Arturo, his mask fragment cracking, hair charred, and entire body broken. The wings on his back still flickered feebly.

"Damn… you… Yama…mo…" Arturo tried to speak through the pain.

Yamamoto's flames died out, the wood beginning to reform and turning the katana back into a cane. "Begone. I will warn you this one more time, else I will have to take the punishment to a whole new level."

The atmosphere behind Arturo began to warp, until it split open like a mouth.

"Garganta?" Ukitake asked, looking at the black tunnel.

"Curse… you… shinigami… you win this day… but… I shall come back… and you shall feel my true power… once I am at a hundred percent!" The garganta closed around him, taking him back to Hueco Mundo.

"Wait!" Ukitake shouted, hand moving to his blade.

"Stop it," Yamamoto commanded. "There is no way to hunt after someone after they have passed through a Garganta. We should take Soifon-taichou and her 3rd Seat back to the Seireitei."

"Hai, Yama-jii," Kyoraku agreed, picking Kiyashi up and carrying him over his shoulder. "But the boy… he really likes Soifon-chan, doesn't he? Risking his life for her like that…"

Ukitake gave his friend a look. "Be careful. I think Soifon-taichou might hear us."

Kyoraku nodded. "Ahh, sorry, sorry. Just a joke, is all."

Xxx0o0xxX

I woke up indoors, in a room with bright lights. I could hear crunching nearby, as if someone was eating something extremely crispy.

"Where… am I? The 2nd Division… barracks?"

"Oi, you're awake, Kumo." A gruff voice nearby called. It was Omaeda-fukutaichou. "I thought you mighta been dead, considerin' how long ya slept for."

I rubbed my head, as well as feeling the bandages on my wounds. "How long _did _I sleep for?"

"It's been a day since ya came back from the mission. A day! Didn't I say I hated slackers? Huh? Didn't I? Geez, if you weren't wounded, I'd give you my trademark 'Marechiyo Chop', like I do with my slackin' workers. Always makes 'em-eaaarrrggghhhh!"

Soifon-taichou had come into the treatment room, and punched Omaeda in the face. "You're one to talk about slacking, much less complain about it, when the paperwork is literally building up into mountains in your office."

Omaeda started sweating quickly. "U-uh?"

Soifon looked at him from the sides of her eyes. "Well?"

Omaeda dropped the bag of rice crackers- on the floor, much to the Captain's annoyance. "H-hai, Captain! I'll get to it right away!"

Watching him dart out of the room and shut the door quickly amused her for a while.

"Captain…" I bowed my head. "Forgive me. I had disobeyed you, taichou, and risked both our lives with my actions."

Soifon sighed. "Don't apologize. I was more to blame, for underestimating the opponent, and for sending you on ahead. It was my actions that had almost cost us our lives."

I shook my head. "No… don't speak like that, Captain. You saved my life when Arturo was about to kill me, and…"

Soifon smirked. "You returned the favor, didn't you? Anyway, don't worry about it."

I looked at her eyes, realizing they were sad. "Captain…"

Soifon stood up. "There's something I should tell you. No one in the squad knows it yet, but after the mission yesterday, I've decided that you will be my 3rd Seat, directly under the vice-captain."

My eyes widened. "But… Captain! I am one of the newest recruits! Yesterday's mission was my first, I don't deserve…"

Soifon grabbed me by the chin and forced me to look at her. "You are strong. You lack the ability to believe in yourself, but you are strong. Yesterday's mission was your first, and yet you were the only one out of the four who I brought with me that survived. Does that mean nothing?"

"But…" I tried to argue.

"Feel your reiatsu. It is strong, far higher than it was when I first met you. That time you were only a child, but now…"

I interrupted her. "I am still a child."

She nodded. "Yes, you are still a child. But yesterday, you showed strength beyond what I would've expected. I believe you are strong enough to take the position, and even surpass me one day. Do you understand?"

I looked into those eyes. They were proud, strong, but not what I usually saw from them, hardness, coldness, unrelenting determination. This look in her eyes… it reminded me of my nee-san's. Ayame's.

It made me wonder if the Soifon-taichou I first saw was the true face of her after all.

"Soifon-taichou… arigatō gozaimasu." I looked down to the ground.

"Very well, then 3rd Seat Kumo…"

I shook my head. "Please, Captain. Call me by my first name. I feel uncomfortable being addressed like this."

"Kiyashi-kun…" she said slowly.

"Thank you." I replied.

She began to turn away, showing the back of her haori. When she turned her head, her eyes had turned back to how they looked before.

"Recover quickly, 3rd Seat Kumo. You will resume your duties tomorrow."

She flash stepped away.

I laid back onto the futon, my eyes to the ceiling.

"Soifon-taichou…"

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Yes, Soifon is very, very OOC here. If you haven't noticed, she was like that on purpose. It is because Kiyashi looks to Soifon like Soifon used to look up to Yoruichi, and a bit of what Soifon used to be like (watch episode 57) surfaced.

Anyway, very emotional scene. I was actually playing a Bleach OST while writing this. 'Never Meant To Belong' and it felt like it really fitted the scene. :-)

Please R&R!

Yazuhomura no Orochi (Eight-headed giant snake)- This technique was actually used in the Bleach DS Games. I just thought it would be cool, and I changed it a bit to make it seem more... hmm... 'eight'-themed.

Oh, and I'd better add that to the disclaimer... Disclaimer: ...or the Bleach DS Series. There!


	11. Chapter 10 Part 1 of 2

AN: Thanks for all the views for my amateur fanfic. Some more reviews would be nice, although I appreciate the ones who have kept with it the whole time.

Anyway, I take back what I said about the Ancient Arrancar arc. Actually, no, but I'm delaying it. There's some stuff I want to get through before I continue on that. It's probably going to restart… nah, I won't spoil it.

PS: After listening through a lot of music, I randomly decided on a theme that seemed good for Kiyashi. 'Anima Rossa' by Porno Graffiti. What a weird name for a band. Seriously, it's a beautiful song. And yes, I know it's one of the openings for the Bleach anime, but I couldn't help it. The music suited my character, and the lyrics... somewhat.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, or the song 'Anima Rossa' or its band.

Xxx0o0xxX

"That damned Omaeda. What a ridiculous Vice-Captain he is."

I had only recovered for about three days, and already annoying things were happening.

"_Does it hurt anymore, Kumo-kun?" Unohana-taichou asked._

"_No, not anymore," I said. "But, you didn't need to come all this way just to heal me personally, Captain Unohana."_

_Unohana smiled. "You shouldn't say that, Kumo-kun. I take pleasure in curing the injuries of others. I am happy to even mend the most minor of them, no matter whom they may be."_

"_But…" I froze as I suddenly saw a shadow cast over the Captain's face, and her expression looked so calm it was frightening. "Uh… nothing."_

"_You shouldn't think of yourself as being so insignificant, Kumo-kun. After all, Kira-kun spoke very highly of you."_

"_Kira-kun? Do you know him?" I asked._

"_Hai, Aizen-taichou transferred him to my squad recently. He's very capable, and a kind young man, except a bit too gloomy." Unohana responded._

_I lay back on my bed, about to close my eyes. "I see…" As I tried to fall back into sleep, a loud bang echoed through the room as someone opened the door._

_Vice-captain Omaeda stepped in, making loud footsteps as he walked. "Oi, Kumo! Recovered yet? You'd better have, because I have… have…" he gulped. "U-Unohana-taichou…"_

"_Is there something you need from Kumo-kun, Omaeda-fukutaichou? Even so, you shouldn't be so loud. Even if you have authority over him as a superior officer, do not forget that my patients should always be treated as though they were a member of my squad." She said calmly. Even though I could only see the back of her head, the look on Omaeda's face made it obvious she was giving him the evil eye._

"_M… my deepest apologies, Unohana-taichou…" His hands, carrying his rice crackers, were shivering. "It w-will never happen again…"_

_Unohana-taichou picked up her zanpakutō and made her way to leave. "It's alright. The treatment is over today anyway. I leave him in you and your Captain's hands, Omaeda-fukutaichou."_

_The door closed behind her._

_Omaeda swallowed deeply. "Oh, yeah. Kumo, I've got a job for ya. The paperwork in my office is buildin' up again, and I'd do it, but as the extremely important commander of the Patrol Corps-" he did not notice me rolling my eyes at the 'extremely important' part, "-I am needed in the Rukon Districts. So ya need to do my paperwork for me. This is urgent! So, I'll leave it to ya. Ja-na!"_

_He marched off, taking another bite off his rice crackers._

_Needed in the Rukon Districts, my ass_, I thought. He's probably just too afraid of Soifon-taichou walking into his office sometime and seeing all this paperwork.

"Seriously… the 'building up' part was the only truth in what he said." The paperwork had been stacking, all over the floor, the cupboards, even the bookshelves and cabinets. "It's like he left all his paperwork here to rot for three years!"

A breeze blew in, something I would have been pleased about, had it not blown away my finished paperwork, mixing it with the rest of the unmarked ones. _Just great_, I cursed in my head. _Just what I needed. More headaches._

I looked out the window. It was difficult seeing clearly ever since my glasses were destroyed by Arturo during the fight. I had fairly decent eyesight even without them, able to make out larger details, but it was uncomfortable suddenly forced to see like this, and looking at multicolored objects hurt my eyes.

_Hopefully I can get a new pair made for me._ I rubbed my eyes, having just gone through about two hundred sheets of paperwork. _Maybe I can get a deal on them in that Silver Tonbo place. The prices are ridiculous, but I hear they sell glasses made for shinigami, so they should be more durable than the pair I had before._

I took a drink of tea, being careful not to pour it over the paperwork. As I put it down, I heard a knock on the door.

"Excuse me… may I come in?" someone outside asked. The voice was familiar.

"Sure. Be careful, though." The door opened, and I saw it was Hinamori who came in, almost slipping over the paper on the floor.

"Whoa! The paperwork is everywhere! The vice-captain of 2nd Division must really be slacking off!" she exclaimed, carefully stepping on the floor where the paperwork isn't.

I sighed. "Tell me about it. That guy's been trying to tread me underfoot for the last three days."

Hinamori, with difficulty, walked over to me. "Tread you underfoot? Why?"

I leaned on my elbow, rubbing my forehead. "He's the vice-captain of 2nd Division, I'm the 3rd Seat, I got promoted after my first mission, Soifon-taichou hates his guts, and what's more, he's from some rich family, while I'm just a ragged kid from Rukongai. Why do you think he's treading me underfoot?"

Hinamori tilted her head slightly. "Why?"

I almost slapped myself. Hinamori could be so slow at times. "He thinks I want to usurp his position, of course. Like that's ever going to happen. I overheard from some other members of this squad. He's from some rich noble family, and they used their power and influence to put a member of their family in vice-captain rank. Apparently, the other members of the Onmitsukidō say he's really just got the skill of a 6th Seat. So, after complaining to the Captain about how I was still a new member didn't work, now he's just trying to pile work onto me to avoid attracting Soifon-taichou's attention."

Hinamori began to start picking up paperwork off the floor. "You can really do that if you come from a strong noble family?"

I took the sheets in her hand. "Thanks. Yeah, apparently that's how it works. They can do that to get people out of Shinigami Academy too. That's how they got Rukia-san out, I think."

Hinamori gasped, and then smiled. "That's right! I've got great news! Abarai-kun found Rukia-san again!"

I looked up from my paperwork. "Really? Where?"

"Uh, he said that she's currently an unseated officer in 13th Division, and has trouble fitting in there."

I sighed. "Still? She was like that in the academy too. Anyway, that can't be the only reason why you're here, is it?"

Hinamori reached inside a bag that she carried. "Ah, that's right. I was asked to pass you this. From your sister, Ayame-san."

I took the cloth-wrapped object. "From nee-san? What is it?" I pulled the cloth, and found a pair of thin silver-rimmed glasses inside, identical to the ones that broke. "Glasses?" I turned it, and etched into a small part near the lenses was a small, perfect carving of a dragonfly. "These came from the Silver Tonbo? But those glasses are so expensive!"

Hinamori nodded. "Apparently, the retired shinigami that owns the store, Shirogane-san, owes your sister a favor for saving a large amount of his stock from Hollows, so he's been providing her with free copies newest designs of glasses ever since when she asks. I haven't told Abarai-kun, or he'll follow Ayame-san around everywhere. He loves the sunglasses they make."

I laughed a bit, and put the glasses on. They felt a lot sturdier than the old pair. "Thanks."

Hinamori shuffled her feet. "There was something else… but since you look so busy with this paperwork… I'll just go now."

I stopped writing. "What is it? It's alright, you can tell me."

"I was planning on going over back to Junrin'an to see Shiro-chan and his grandmother today, and then I remembered Kumo-kun has never met them yet, so…"

I thought for a while, and suddenly had an idea. "Alright, I'll go with you."

Hinamori looked shocked. "What? But you have so much work!"

I pulled a scrap of paper from nearby, and with my pen started scribbling on it.

"What are you doing?" Hinamori asked.

Xxx0o0xxX

Omaeda stared in shock at the piece of paper left behind by the 3rd Seat, Kumo.

"_To Omaeda-fukutaichou,_

_My deepest apologies. I tried to get as much of the paperwork done as possible, but Soifon-taichou caught me and wasn't too happy about the fact I was covering for you. She made me write this note, and said that since you're so busy you don't have time to do your paperwork, she'd decided to give you a break, and let us swap positions for a day. I will take care of the Patrol Corps for today, and you can have all the time you need to finish the work. I'm probably somewhere in Rukongai by now, so don't bother looking for me. And if you're thinking 'what is this insult from this commoner', then remember, Soifon-taichou made me write this. Have fun working._

_PS: If you ignore this letter or try to leave, Soifon-taichou said that she would hunt you down and cover you with so many Homonka marks you won't be able to see your skin color._

_Signed,_

_Kiyashi Kumo_

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Heh heh… poor Omaeda. But he was being lazy, so it's his fault. That's what you get for not doing your paperwork for three years.

Next chapter, Kiyashi and Hinamori will go to Junrin'an. Hopefully I'll get off my lazy ass and try to make it more than three thousand words. But I guess I wouldn't be 'LazyStargazer' anymore.

Please R&R!

Kira was a member of Fourth Division some time in his life as a shinigami. I don't know when, so I just made it a short time after joining 5th Division.


	12. Chapter 10 Part 2 of 2

AN: Thanks for the reviews. It's strange I only ever get them overnight when staring at the reviews page all day doesn't help O.O

Ok, so this part is starting to come to an end, and then it'll be the Ryoka Invasion part. A preview (not the beginning of the arc) will be shown below.

Edit: Oh, damn, sorry. Forgot the preview. Baka. Sorry.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Xxx0o0xxX

Jidanbo was bored out of his mind.

Normally, peace in the Rukon District would be a relief, but for a guard like him, who has to watch over the place 24/7, it gets really old after a while. If it were the more dangerous districts like Kusajishi or Zaraki, he'd have at least _something_ to do.

Damn it, he didn't care whether it were Hollows, Arrancar, or in some unlikely case even ryoka, he'd finally get some action, even if it's just to sharpen his axes.

He yawned. "So boooooooring…" He heard a knock on the wall behind him.

"Um… Jidanbo-san? Are you there?"

Jidanbo turned to look at the wall. "Yeah. Who is it on the other side?"

The person on the other side said, "Could you open the gate for us, please?"

Jidanbo shrugged. If it came from the Seireitei, it would probably be shinigami. Rubbing his hands together, he reached down to the bottom of the gate.

He lifted the gate a little bit, allowing the person, well, two people through.

Xxx0o0xxX

Soifon was surprised to come in to her vice-captain's office and finding him actually _working_.

Working his ass off, actually. The place was not as messy as she saw it before. There were actually large patches of floor where there wasn't any paper, and all the sheets of two-year ago paperwork was gone. Omaeda was working at a hurry at the table.

"How the heck do I do this… aah! Captain!" he was so shocked at seeing his Captain that he almost fell off his chair.

"This is a surprise, Omaeda. I didn't think you were physically or mentally able to work this hard."

Omaeda saluted her hurriedly. "H-hai, Captain! I'm just doin' my job as vice-captain of 2nd Division and your subordinate!"

Soifon smirked. "But what about your _other_ duty?"

Omaeda sweated. "O-other…?"

"From what I remember, you have a job as the leader of the Patrol Corps. What happened to that job?" She glared at him.

"H-huh? B-but…?" he looked at the letter Kumo left for him.

"Well, it's good that you're trying to finish as soon as possible. By the way, since you seem so enthusiastic about finishing paperwork, I'll let you do mine as well. It's sitting in the box behind my desk. I expect it finished by tomorrow." She began walking out the door.

"W-what?" he looked at the paper, at Soifon, then at the paperwork. When the Captain left the office, he ran over to the window and screamed out at the top of his voice.

"DAMN YOU, KUMO! YOU FRIGGIN BOOGER! COME BACK HERE! I'LL TEACH YOU TO TRICK ME!"

The whole of 2nd Division, and probably a few others, could hear him.

Xxx0o0xxX

Jidanbo lowered the gate again, relaxing his arms. "Man, Sekkiseki is some heavy stuff." He looked down.

"Hi, Jidanbo-san!" Hinamori called up, waving her hand.

"Well, It's Hinamori-chan! How've ya been doin'? It's been really dull withou' you comin' to chat with me all day." Jidanbo smiled down at the tiny girl.

Hinamori stopped waving. "I'm sorry, I didn't think being a shinigami would be so busy. But hasn't Shiro-chan come over recently?"

Jidanbo scratched his head, and sat down to get closer to us. "Well, Toshiro-kun is… well, you'll see. His grandmother will be happy to see ya. She's been much healthier recently."

Hinamori nodded. "Ok. Come on, Kumo-kun! Shiro-chan's home's nearby."

As we ran off, Hinamori pulling me by the arm, Jidanbo got back up and scratched himself. "She'll be in for a surprise…"

Xxx0o0xxX

"…and my home is right here! See, it's quite nice. It's a bit bigger than most houses in Junrin'an." Hinamori said, pointing.

The house was certainly much better than the rundown shack back at Inuzuri. There was even a garden. Hinamori opened the gate.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" she called. An elderly woman came out of the house, smiling when she saw Hinamori.

"Oh, it's Hinamori-chan. It's been a while." She said.

Hinamori bowed slightly. "I'm really sorry I couldn't visit you more. Besides, Toshiro acts like he doesn't like it when I come back too often."

Toshiro's grandmother laughed. "I know he doesn't mean it. Is this your friend?"

Hinamori pushed me forwards. "This is Kiyashi Kumo-kun. He was one of my friends during the academy. Come on, say something, Kumo-kun!"

I spoke nervously. "Err… nice to meet you."

The elder smiled gently. "Come in. It's probably going to rain outside soon."

Xxx0o0xxX

The rain began to drop down after a while. The sky darkened, while Hinamori and Toshiro's grandmother closed the windows and lighted a candle.

"It is nice for you to come and visit me. It's been quite lonely for me recently." The elder said, pouring tea for all of us.

Hinamori picked up her cup. "Lonely? Why? Has Toshiro been out a lot? Come to think of it, where is he right now?"

The elder looked down. "Well… a few days ago, about a week, Toshiro met a shinigami lady out at the market when he was buying food, and then, next morning, he said that he was going to go to the Seireitei to go to the academy."

Hinamori almost dropped her cup. "W-what? Go to the academy?"

"Why?" I asked.

The elder shivered a bit. "The young lady visited me a couple of days later. She said that Toshiro had power, but because he couldn't control it, it was flowing out of him and freezing me. She said that if he hadn't gone, I would have died."

Hinamori bit her finger. "That's terrible… Shiro-chan really had that much reiatsu?"

The elder drank her tea. "Toshiro told me… about how he was going to become a shinigami so he won't hurt me, and about a strange dream he had, about a frozen cavern and an enormous ice dragon."

"A dream? About an ice dragon?" I looked at my zanpakutō, Kurokage. _Could it be…_

Xxx0o0xxX

Jidanbo hated rain. Mainly because there was no shade on the White Road Gate to protect him from it, and he can't leave the gate to get an umbrella. Not that there was ever an umbrella big enough to cover him.

A Rukongai villager came over to him, four more following, dragging an enormous pole covered in cloth.

"What is that?" Jidanbo asked.

The villager helped pull the object over. "Ah, Jidanbo-san. It's for you. We saw that it was going to rain, and we couldn't leave you like this, so we made it." They undid the rope, and released an enormous umbrella, big enough to cover someone as large as Jidanbo.

Jidanbo picked up the umbrella. "Thanks, you guys. You're all mighty nice to me around here."

The villagers picked up their own umbrellas. "Of course, Jidanbo-san. We here in Rukongai don't like the shinigami, but everything you've done for us here in Junrin'an has been kind. We were just trying to repay you for it."

"Ok, thank you for the umbrella. Now…" a sudden burst of reiatsu interrupted him. "This reiatsu… Hollows? From the size of it… Menos Grande? Four of them?"

"Jidanbo-san, what's wrong?" a villager asked.

Jidanbo looked down at them. _Oh, that's right, they can't sense reiatsu. _"Run away! Go back to your houses and block the doors! Hollows are attacking!"

All the villagers gave a look of fear, and began to run away. Jidanbo dropped the umbrella and pulled an axe out of his shihakusho. "Right, now I have to wait for them to come here…"

Xxx0o0xxX

Renji and Kira were playing a game of dice with the redhead having a huge losing streak, when the reiatsu took their attention from the game.

"T-this reiatsu! They're hollows!" Renji got up and tied his zanpakutō on his sash. When he saw that Kira just looked at him, he pulled his friend up. "What's yer problem? Did you forget? Hinamori went to Rukongai today to visit her family! She's in danger!"

The fear in Kira's eyes were replaced with shock. "H-Hinamori-kun…!"

Xxx0o0xxX

Our conversation with Toshiro's grandmother was rudely interrupted by the sudden appearance of the Menos. Ignoring the rain, we ran to try and find the source of the reiatsu.

"Why would Menos attack the Rukongai? And how could they come to Soul Society?" Hinamori asked me.

I didn't look back. "It's probably Arturo… but I don't sense his reiatsu. It's likely he hasn't fully recovered yet."

Hinamori picked up her pace. "But they're Menos! What could we do?"

I clenched my teeth. "I don't know… we'll have to do what we can."

Xxx0o0xxX

A member of the Riteitai ran to Soifon. "Soifon-taichou! Signs of Menos reiatsu have been detected in West Rukongai! They're advancing towards Junrin'an!"

Soifon didn't turn to look at them. "I know. I can sense them clearly." She looked out the window, past the rain.

"What should we do, Captain?" a shinigami nearby asked. "Should we send a squad of the Keigun to get rid of them?"

Soifon shook her head. "There is no need. 3rd Seat Kumo is in that particular district right now. Even if he can't handle them… the other squads are making their move."

She could sense them. _They_ were on the way.

Xxx0o0xxX

"Four Menos Grandes…" Hinamori stared in fear at the towering Gillians, stomping with their enormous bony feet.

I drew my sword. "Hinamori-chan, step back. I don't want you to get hurt by these guys."

Hinamori didn't move. "B-but, Kumo-kun! What could you do?"

I ignored her. "Obscure… Kurokage." My sword stained black, and the reiatsu emitting from it changed patterns.

"That's… your sword release?" She looked at the blade. "I haven't even started communicating with mine yet."

I turned my head. "That's why you need to stay back." I used shunpo to get closer to the Menos. _I need to take them down one by one._

The Gillian in front of me charged. "Bakudo No. 30, Shitotsu Sansen." Three triangular spears of light formed in front of me, flying at the Gillian and pinning him to a wall.

I had to get rid of one or two before the first got free. For the second Gillian, I aimed for the legs, intending to disable it. Narrowly dodging a kick, I aimed for its tendon, but the cut was too shallow. The leg swung back at me, the creature's heel catching me.

I grunted in pain, but I was close enough for a deeper stab. The Menos howled in pain, its leg useless, but the direction it dropped meant it would fall on Hinamori.

"Hinamori, get away!" I screamed, but she surprised me with her next movement.

She held her hands up in the air. "Hado No. 1, Sho!" her Kido was strong enough to knock away the hollow falling like a log.

"Hinamori-chan…" I was at a loss for words. She drew her katana.

"Please… let me assist you!" she begged. I nodded, having no time for thought. A red glow behind her made me suddenly react.

Hinamori turned to see the cero being fired by the Menos still trapped in the Kido.

When I used shunpo to appear in front of her, I was intending to take the hit for her, but instead, the blast was stopped by a deep violet glow from my blade that expanded into a large black portal that swallowed the cero.

"What…" but before I had time to think, my sword almost _pulled_ my hand and pointed the tip at the Menos, opening a similar portal and firing the same cero, except black. Completely black, with no reflection or glow. Almost like a blot the sun can't touch.

The Menos was blasted to oblivion by its own attack.

"What was that?" Hinamori asked, shivering from seeing the cero and the counter.

I looked at Kurokage, thinking the same thing.

_Gyakuryū._ A voice echoed in my head. _Its name is Gyakuryū._

I breathed heavily. The opening of the strange portal had strongly exhausted me. I had been completely unprepared for the aftershock, and fell to the ground.

"Kumo-kun!" Hinamori cried, trying to pull me back up. The Menos closed in.

I was tired, and felt that I could not react fast enough to stop them from killing us. I could hear ceros charging.

A sudden breeze of cold air, and the rain turned cold.

"_Drift away, Sōsen."_

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Ooh, who could the mysterious savior be? I think you readers are smart enough to know. Anyway, a new power of my OC's Kurokage.

Gyakuryū (逆流) roughly Reverse Flow: Similar to Ukitake's zanpakutō in principle. Absorbs attack, and fires it back. But there are three differences. 1) The attack is not really absorbed, but actually moved to an alternate dimension, so there's no limit, unless the attack is too large ranged. 2) There is a time limit to the attack. The dimension can only hold the attack for a few seconds before having to be fired back. If reaction time is slow, then the attack will be wasted. 3) The attack is not really the same, it's just a reflection. Because of that, certain immunities to that attack may or may not work unless it's immune to _all_ attacks of that type.

Oh, and like you may have noticed, it really tires Kiyashi out. It takes a lot reiatsu to maintain a connection to the alternate dimension.

Sōsen (霜川) literally Frost Lake: An ice/water type zanpakutō. That's all I'm going to say. Its powers will be shown soon. Just wait for the next chapter.

Please R&R!

Xxx0o0xxX

_I leaped off my perch, high above the three of them. They were surprised as I jumped down._

_"There you are." I said. "Leader of the Ryokas, usurper of Rukia Kuchiki's powers. Ichigo Kurosaki-dono."_

_The orange-haired shinigami put his hand on his oversized zanpakutō. "Who the hell are you? How do you know me?"_

_I pulled Kurokage out of its sheath. "You don't need to hear my answer."_

_The ryoka grinned. "Is that so? Then… I'll just hafta beat them outta you!" He charged at me._

_I watched, slowing down his movement with my eyes. "You're slow." With shunpo, I disappeared and reappeared behind him, ready to slash him from behind._

_"I'll finish this myself."_


	13. Chapter 11

AN: Hey guys, Chapter 11 is out. Not my best writing, but it's passable. Next chapter will be a jump to the future. The Ryoka Invasion arc. So, this chapter will be long, because I have to get everything done before I start the next arc.

PS: Thanks for the suggestion about the Women's Association. I am certainly going to do something involving that, but it's going to take a while. I have written a new fanfic, 'Interviews', that is basically the SWA asking Kumo-kun lots of (occasionally personal) questions. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for my OCs.

Xxx0o0xxX

_Gyakuryū… Its name is Gyakuryū._

The Menos Grande, hit by a black version of its own cero, had an enormous hole burned into it, larger than its hollow hole and almost burning it in half.

The result of using the ability was painful. I had lost an enormous amount of my reiatsu using it once, and the exhaustion caused by maintaining it was too much for me to handle.

I fell to the ground, and felt Hinamori tugging at me, shaking me, trying to get me back up. The red glow from the three ceros being charged at me was easily seen.

"Damn… Hinamori… get away…" But she couldn't hear me, and there was no way she could have escaped in time.

The air and rain began to turn cold. Did it mean I was dying? No, Hinamori was shivering too.

A familiar voice rang out smoothly. "_Drift away… Sōsen._"

A strong breeze of cold wind struck me, and I realized it was reiatsu. I tried to move my head, but it was difficult. A pair of strong hands picked me up.

"Jeez… do you ever finish a fight without being beat up?" it was Renji's voice. I could turn my head a little now, as I was no longer on the floor.

Kira, who was nearby, took something out of a medical bag. "Hold on, Kumo-kun. You'll be fine soon."

I tried to breathe out a few words. "Why… are you guys here…?"

Renji lowered me face up on the ground. "We felt the reiatsu from the Menos and remembered that Hinamori was in Rukongai, so we came to have a look."

Kira held something to my mouth. "Here, swallow this."

I opened my mouth, and the strange pill given to me gave me a strange flow of energy and stamina. Kira put down his zanpakutō and medical equipment to mend the bruise the Menos gave me.

"They're Menos… you don't stand a chance." I muttered out.

Renji pointed in a direction. "Didn't ya feel that burst of cold reiatsu? There're people to help us here."

I looked to the place Renji pointed. There were two people, one being a tall man with long black hair that was ornamented with hairclips, and a silvery scarf wrapped around his neck. The other, despite only seeing the back of her, was a very familiar person.

"Nee-san…?" Renji looked down at me. "Oh, so that's yer sister? Come to think of it, I've never met her before."

Ayame was holding a released zanpakutō. A large chakram in her right hand with a long silver ribbon hanging off it. The weapon was giving off a cold chill, as the tiny water droplets on the blade showed.

"Sōsen…" I remembered the name she called it.

Xxx0o0xxX

Ayame looked up at the three remaining Hollow. The one that she froze the leg of had broken the ice, but its leg with it.

"What should we do, Kuchiki-taichou?" she asked.

Captain Kuchiki drew his katana. "Normally I would not use my zanpakutō against minor Hollows like this, but it would be best to finish them before they damage the district further."

He held his zanpakutō up, and closed his eyes. "Scatter, Senbonzakura."

The blade began to separate into many glowing cherry blossoms, until only the hilt was left. While the petals began to surround one of the Menos, Ayame used shunpo to get away while throwing her weapon at one of the others.

The blade cut into one of the Menos, and while the slash was shallow, ice began forming around it, freezing the creature's blood and covering over half its body with ice.

The Menos shattered, leaving only a large portion of its corpse.

The other two began to charge ceros, but flying petals spun around them, and despite their size, made sudden enormous slash marks all over their bodies.

The Menos fell to the ground, blood spraying over the roads.

Ayame flash stepped next to Captain Kuchiki. "That's all of them, Captain."

Byakuya nodded. "Take care of the wounded boy."

Xxx0o0xxX

I awoke again, not feeling as tired as when I fell unconscious. My hands were bandaged, and the bruise still stung, but was bearable.

Ayame was sitting down next to me. "Nee-san?" I croaked slowly.

She looked like she was breaking out of a trance. I got off my back and sat cross-legged.

"You're awake, Kiyashi. Are you feeling any better?" she asked, looking directly at me now.

I felt my wounds. "Yeah. What happened?"

She smiled. "Kuchiki-taichou and I made it in time and killed the Menos. You did well, managing to kill one of them yourself."

I picked up Kurokage and drew it. "I didn't know what I did… there's still a lot about Kurokage that I don't know yet."

She moved next to me to look closer at the zanpakutō. "Kurokage? Oh, that's your zanpakutō's name. I was going to ask why it changed color, and why its tsuba looks like Kuchiki-taichou's, except round."

I sheathed the sword again. "I learned its name when I almost got killed by Arturo."

She patted me on the head, like she always did when we were still in Rukongai. "I see. You're going to become very strong, I can tell."

A shadow covered us. I looked up and saw Kuchiki-taichou, looking at the sword like I was.

"Come, 5th Seat Kinasuke. We're leaving." He said blankly, before turning to leave. His haori brushed my hands slightly.

Ayame got up. "I have to go now. Come visit me some time, okay, otouto?"

Xxx0o0xxX

Renji, Kira, Hinamori and I were all sitting on the roof of the 5th Division building. Even though Kira's a part of 4th Division now he still likes spending time with his friends in his former squad.

"So… you've learned yer zanpakutō's name, huh?" Renji asked, lying down on the tiles and covering his eyes from the sun.

I took my katana from my sash. "Yeah. It's called Kurokage. A kido-based darkness type zanpakutō."

Renji scratched himself. "Man, I'm jealous. You learned yer zanpakutō's name on yer first mission. I want to know mine, but it's a hard-headed one." He looked at his red-hilted zanpakutō. "But knowing me, it'll probably be some physical based thing…"

Hinamori shrugged. "Well, don't worry, Abarai-kun. I'm sure you'll find out eventually."

Renji pulled himself to the edge of the roof to watch the people beneath. "Well, I guess it's not such a big deal, I wouldn't wanna learn my zanpakutō's name at the cost of almost gettin' killed. Anyway… hey, it's Rukia!" He pointed at someone underneath us near the squad building.

"Rukia!" he shouted loudly, but he had been so excited he lost his grip on the tiles, and fell down nearly six meters, almost dropping on Rukia.

"A-Abarai-kun!" Kira and Hinamori both exclaimed at the same time, in shock.

I slapped myself on the head. "Doofus. Well, let's go help him out."

Xxx0o0xxX

Rukia was enjoying the sunshine. She had intended to visit Renji today in her free time, but was surprised when a large shadow covered the sun.

"What the… is it getting cloudy?" she looked up, and almost screamed when she saw someone about to fall right on top of her.

"Aaaiiiieee!" she yelped, and jumped back, letting the mysterious someone drop onto the hard ground with a crack.

The shinigami who fell, who, to her surprise, was Renji, pulled himself up with difficulty. "Ow… ow…" but when Rukia smacked him on the back of his head, his cry of pain was a lot louded. "OW!"

Rukia rubbed her hand. "What the hell, Renji! Were you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Renji glared at her. "Shut up! Blame the roof for being so unsteady! And besides, you're not an old person! You can't get a heart attack!"

Rukia felt a vein in her head pulse. "Why you… you aren't even going to apologize… hey, what's with the eyebrows?"

Renji looked surprised, and touched them with his hands. "They're tattoos. Cool, aren't they?"

"You look like you have four eyebrows." Rukia replied mockingly.

"Shut up! They're to make me look strong and impressive!" Renji shouted back at her.

Hinamori, Kira and I dropped to the ground on our feet, unlike poor Renji.

"Hi, Rukia-san! We haven't seen you for so long!" Hinamori said happily.

Rukia looked at us. "You two… Kira and Hinamori, right?"

She took a long look at me, and we both almost blushed. "H-hi, Rukia san." I said nervously.

Taking his fingers from his eyebrows, Renji looked at both of us. "What's goin' on with you two?"

Rukia took her eyes off me. "No, nothing. You've changed your glasses."

I could tell that it was a pathetic attempt at changing the conversation, but thanks to Renji suddenly speaking, the other two didn't notice.

Renji looked closer. "That's right… you have a dragonfly etched on your glasses. Did they come from the Silver Tonbo?"

I nodded. Renji looked flustered. "But those glasses are so expensive! I couldn't afford a pair in my entire life!"

Without thinking, I replied. "I got them for free."

Renji's eyes widened comically. "F-f-free? How?" He seized me by the shoulders.

Kira and Hinamori both looked shocked at Renji's sudden movement. "Abarai-kun! Let go of Kumo-kun!"

I looked at Renji's face, nose to nose with mine. "I… um... well, my nee-san gets free copies of all of the Silver Tonbo's newest designs, and she gave a pair to me."

Renji took a step back, and was about to run off.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

Renji stopped. "To the 6th Division building, where else?"

Rukia and I grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping him. "What is with your obsession with sunglasses?"

Renji shook both of us off. "Shut up! It's not an obsession! I just wanna look cool!"

Rukia sighed. "That's the third time you said 'shut up' in just five minutes."

"Is there a problem?"

We turned. It was Aizen-taichou, who was obviously disturbed by the commotion outside.

"Aizen-taichou!" Hinamori cried out, drawing a smile from the Captain.

Renji shivered. "No, no! We were just chatting a little outside the squad building!"

Aizen nodded. "Why don't you all come in? I've prepared some tea and food."

"Uh… okay. Thank you very much, Aizen-taichou." Rukia said, following him with the rest of us.

Xxx0o0xxX

The 5th Division was less decorated, but certainly as peaceful and tranquil, as the 6th. The halls were well cared for, and there was a small amount of pot plants placed in most rooms. Aizen-taichou's room was small, but enough to fit all of us, with a lot of old calligraphy on the tables.

Renji helped himself to a taiyaki, while Rukia watched him with distaste.

"Abarai-kun… please be a bit more polite." Hinamori commented, watching him just take one without asking.

Aizen laughed. "It's quite alright. I wasn't planning to have all of them anyway. Help yourselves."

We all took our cups and watched him write. "Wow…" Kira looked at the elegant writing. "Do you like calligraphy that much, Aizen-taichou?"

Aizen nodded. "I enjoy writing and drawing. Those pieces of artwork and calligraphy on the walls are all mine."

Hinamori examined one. "Wow… it's beautiful! And it's got your name on it, Aizen-taichou!"

We talked all day, and the more we got to know Captain Aizen, the more we liked him. It was as if he were family. Renji had finished most of the treats at the end of the day, while arguing with Rukia about the tiniest of things, just like they used to.

Captain Aizen was about to pour more tea. "Oh? We're all out. I'll go make some more."

Hinamori stopped him. "No, no, please let me do it, Aizen-taichou!"

Kira and I watched her, a little uneasy by her strange obsession with Aizen. "Hinamori-kun…"

We were interrupted by the sudden sound of shunpo. Soifon-taichou stood by the door, her usual expression on her face.

Aizen looked surprised. "Soifon-taichou? What brings you to my squad building?"

Soifon-taichou crossed her arms, looking at me first, and then at Aizen. "Sorry to interrupt, Captain Aizen, but I'm here to retrieve my 3rd Seat."

"Of course. My apologies for making you come all the way here. Kumo-kun…" Aizen looked at me as well.

"Not at all. Come, Kumo." She turned away, and looked behind her shoulder

I picked up my zanpakutō. "Y-yes, Captain." I gave an apologetic look to my friends, and followed my captain to the balcony, where we flash stepped away.

Xxx0o0xxX

Hinamori came back with more tea. "Sorry to make you wait, Captain!"

Aizen took the jug from her. "It's fine, Hinamori-kun. Thank you for taking the time."

Renji looked out the doorway, where his friend left. "Kiyashi's captain is a strict one."

Aizen took a drink of his tea, and put down the cup. "Soifon-taichou's a good leader. She just has a different way of commanding her subordinates. Believe me when I say she wasn't always like this."

Rukia looked at Aizen. "What do you mean, Aizen-taichou?"

"Well…" Aizen looked down and put his pen down. "It involves Soifon-taichou and her predecessor, the former leader of the Onmitsukidō…"

Xxx0o0xxX

We were in the middle of a large forest, this particular area lacking any trees. It was obvious from the structure and the charred earth that this was a training area.

"Soifon-taichou… why are we here?" I asked.

Soifon looked back at me. "I heard about the incident with the Menos. You had done your best, and learned something of your zanpakutō, but you need to improve, if you're to succeed as being my 3rd Seat. So, we're going to train here."

I looked around. "Train?"

"Yes. This area-" Soifon gestured at the entire place, "is an old Onmitsukidō training zone. We have a new one now, but this is where I had trained when I was a new member of the Onmitsukidō."

"But…" I looked at the captain. "Why are we using this one, then, if it's the old training zone?"

"Because," Soifon began to take off her haori, revealing a sleeveless top with an exposed back. "I do not want anyone to see what I am going to teach you."

"You don't want anyone to see… is it a secret technique?" I asked.

Soifon shook her head. "No… it's because it is a technique I had developed, and I don't want anyone but the person I teach to learn it. It's a very powerful technique, and dangerous when used in the wrong hands."

Xxx0o0xxX

Omaeda knew he shouldn't be here.

He knew Captain Soifon would kill him if she found out he was here, so he made the greatest effort to not get noticed. He covered himself with leaves and branches, and even left behind his bag of rice crackers. But he was still scared the Captain would find him.

He followed the Captain around, mainly because he was scared, more now than ever, that she was going to let that Kumo kid take over his position. He bragged a lot, but he knew he was actually extremely inept. But still, he didn't want to lose his position as vice-captain.

He charged out of his hiding spot without thinking, in anger, and interrupted the two. They looked at him, and Soifon-taichou's expression changed to annoyance.

_Oh, crap… what did you do that for, Omaeda?_ His mind screamed at him.

"Omaeda… so you did follow us, after all." Soifon said.

"H-huh?"

Xxx0o0xxX

I stared. The idiot had just done the no. 1 taboo of the Onmitsukidō. He charged right out of a hiding spot and exposed his position. That sort of thing would have cost him his life within an instant.

For a moment, I thought Soifon-taichou would kill him, but instead she simple looked at her vice-captain. "Omaeda… so you did follow us, after all."

Omaeda gaped in shock. "H-huh?"

Soifon turned to him. "I thought you might follow us. I believe that you are worried that Kumo-sanseki is going to take over your place? Fool. As much as I would love to replace you, I think you of all people would understand the influence your family has over my squad. I do not have time to deal with you, so begone."

The stupid vice-captain gulped, but replied. "B-but Captain! It is not fair that this little brat gets all your attention! He's only been in our squad for a week, and you've already promoted him to 3rd Seat! It's not fair! If he's so worthy of your attention, then I challenge him!"

Soifon glared. Omaeda suddenly started sweating, as if he deeply regretted what he just said. "S-sorry, Captain! I didn't mean-"

The captain smirked, and looked at the two of us. "It's not often I see you showing a backbone, Omaeda. Fine. It'll be a good warmup for Kumo's training. Are you fine with this, Kumo?"

I shrugged. "No problem." I drew my sword.

Omaeda was shaking. It was obvious he spoke his mind but didn't have the will to back it up. Eventually, he spat on the ground and drew his large zanpakutō.

"Let's do this, boy!" he shouted, and used a shunpo to disappear.

_So he can use shunpo after all,_ I thought. _He may have surprised me, but it's not going to work._

I turned around, and though I didn't see Omaeda, a sparkle in the distance gave me more than enough warning to block his sudden attack.

Omaeda had used another shunpo to close the distance between us, and had hoped to catch me while my guard was down.

"Wh- how didya know what I was going to do?" he asked, sweating heavily.

I punched him in the face, almost breaking his nose, and jumped back. "You're pathetic at hiding your reiatsu. Besides, anyone can see your jewels sparkling a mile away.

"Hmm." Soifon-taichou seemed to think on the last comment.

"Damn you!" Omaeda dropped his sword, beginning to rip off all of his jewelry. The time it took would have been enough for me to defeat him in one blow, as well as the time it took to pick his sword back up, but I decided to wait.

"I-I can hide my reiatsu perfectly when I want to! Smash 'im, Gegetsuburi!" he raised his zanpakutō high in the air, releasing his Shikai, a giant flail that, due to the fact the blade had been raised up, almost dropped on Omaeda's head.

_How pathetic…_ I thought. "A flail? Not really the weapon I would have expected from a member of the Stealth Corps.

Omaeda snapped back angrily. "S-shut up! I don't get ta choose what my zanpakutō looks like!"

I decided to taunt him. "But it's clear that you're not suited for stealth if your zanpakutō decided to take on that shape."

Soifon-taichou snorted at the side.

Omaeda's face grew red. "Don't underestimate me! Let's go, Gegetsu-"

I had used shunpo to get behind him, and put my blade to his neck. "You lose."

Omaeda turned his head slowly to look at me. "M…mercy!"

_Great,_ I thought sarcastically. _Now he's forgotten it's only training._ I took my blade, sheathed it, and gave him a hard kick that knocked him all the way back into the trees.

"Get out of here, Omaeda. You are interfering with Kumo-kun's training." Soifon demanded, watching the vice-captain pick himself, his sword, and his jewelry up before he ran away.

"That was ridiculous. I'm actually ashamed to defeat someone like him." I said, after he left.

Soifon nodded. "Of all the 13 possible squads, he had to be _my_ vice-captain." she made a face of annoyance.

I looked in the direction he left in. "Why do you tolerate him?"

"I don't." Soifon replied. "The Omaeda family is… powerful. They have a strong influence here in the Seireitei, and they ended up putting their heir in my squad. And despite Omaeda's apparent uselessness, he does have… some… skill in stealth and the like." She sighed. "If only either of those cases wasn't true… then I could have refused."

I scratched my head. "How much… skill… does he have?"

Soifon scowled. "Somehow, _somehow…_ He managed to easily defeat my former 4th Seat in a spar. Afterwards he suddenly became the pathetic lump of walking fat that just walked away. Though, knowing Omaeda, he probably just bribed the 4th Seat to lose on purpose…" she looked thoughtful.

I sweatdropped. "Forget him."

"That's right. We should get to training, Kumo-kun." She said, shaking all thought of her annoying vice-captain out of her mind.

"Please, Captain, I told you to call me by my first name." I said to her.

She sighed. "Fine, fine. _Kiyashi-kun_." I noticed her blush a little before walking away.

I smiled after her. Somehow I knew there was a part of her that she did not like to show, but would surface every so often.

And it was the part of her that I liked the most.

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Aww. I kind of liked that last part. It was sort of sweet. Anyway, next chapter will be a few years in the future, when the Ryoka Invasion takes place. Wait for it, I'll get it done really soon.

Please R&R!

Sōsen (霜川) Frost Lake: An ice/water type zanpakutō that takes the form of a white chakram with a silver ribbon tied on the handle. The chakram itself has the power to turn anything it cuts to ice, amongst other powers. The ribbon… well, I'm still thinking of a cool ability to give it.


	14. Chapter 12

AN: Chapter 12 is out. The first chapter of the Ryoka Invasion arc. What my OC does will mostly not have much to do with Ichigo and co. but he will fight with the ryoka twice. You can try and guess who those two ryoka are, but you already know one of them from a preview.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, but the OCs are mine.

Xxx0o0xxX

_Many years passed._

_While the Soul Society does not change, the people in it do. In the few years, Renji, Kira and Hinamori all took positions as vice-captains of the 3__rd__, 5__th__ and 6__th__ Divisions, while I was still the 3__rd__ Seat of 2__nd__ Division. Even so, I will never live under the illusion that change has not affected me._

Kenpachi Zaraki of 11th Division sat at the steps of his division, tired of watching the weaker members of his squad beat their brains out. He was eager for a good fight, but he could not find it in his squad, or the peace that now swept over the Soul Society.

"Wow, the clouds are pink today!" 11th Division vice-captain Yachiru Kusajishi said to herself, staring at the clouds, stained pale pink from the sunset. "They look like cotton candy! Looks so tasty… hey, Ken-chan, what do you think clouds taste like?"

Kenpachi didn't even look at her. "How am I supposed to know?" He was watching the strong reiatsu in the distance, quick bursts rather than a passive flow.

The pink-haired girl skipped over to her captain and jumped on his back, climbing up his shoulders. She pulled at one of the bells in his hair. "Hey, Ken-chan, what are you looking at?"

Kenpachi pointed. "That. It's some reiatsu. It's a sudden burst, as if the user doesn't naturally have that much energy, but he's just tryin' to let it blast outta him like an adrenaline rush."

Yachiru stared at the trees. "Hey, Ken-chan… who do you think it is?"

"It's that Soifon… she's training that kid again." Kenpachi watched the burst of reiatsu die away.

"Soi-chan?" she asked. "Who's the kid she's training?"

Kenpachi looked at her with his uncovered eye. "Baka. Do you ever remember anything? It's that Kumo kid. The 3rd Seat of the Onmitsukidō."

Yachiru nibbled the tip of her finger. "Onmitsu… oh, Glasses-kun?"

Kenpachi looked a bit surprised for a moment. "Glasses-kun? That's a pretty unimaginative nickname for you to think of."

"Well…" Yachiru jumped off Kenpachi's shoulder. "I don't see him much, so I haven't thought of a good nickname for him… so he's Glasses-kun for now!"

Kenpachi looked back at the site where they were training. "Che, whatever." he watched the blasts of reiatsu until they stopped appearing. "If they ever finish that training… it'll be nice to fight a technique with that much power…"

Yachiru began tugging at Kenpachi's ear. "Ne, Ken-chan! Listen to people when they talk! Hey, Ken-chan!"

"Ow! Hey, stop pulling my ears! Besides, you've finished your sentence!"

"Then I'll pull your hair instead!"

"Hey, stop it!"

"Hee hee!"

Xxx0o0xxX

Soifon-taichou and I were both tired out at attempting the seventh shot. We were holding back as much as we could to maximize the number of times it was usable, but it was still straining to use.

"Taichou… it's hard. Even when holding back it takes a lot of reiatsu, and if we suppress the power that much, then we'll deal hardly any serious damage to the opponent." I looked at the trees. At most, our weak blasts were able to knock down two or three trees in one hit, and at full power, perhaps about twelve.

Soifon nodded. "I know. Even I am still practicing this technique. It is far more difficult to invent your own ability than to learn someone else's."

I looked at my burned hands. "A combination of Kido and Hakuda that augments all four fighting styles. Have you still not named it, Captain?"

Soifon recovered a bit from her exhaustion. "No. I told you, haven't I? A technique must be perfected before it is named. What is the point of naming an ability that is too dangerous to use?"

I sat down on a rock nearby. "That's true…"

Soifon-taichou and my relationship had changed as well throughout time. We spoke to each other less formally, and although I still called her Captain, we were more friends than commander and subordinate.

I pulled off the black scarf I wore to cool down. "Captain... are we going to continue the training further?"

I watched the captain drink, and shake her head. "No. That technique's pushed us to the limit already. It'll really be dangerous if we go on further. We're going back."

"Hai, captain." Picking up Kurokage and pushing myself off the rock, I followed her out of the training zone.

Xxx0o0xxX

The sky grew darker the further we walked. It would be night by the time we got back.

I saw two people in the distance. They were Renji and Kuchiki-taichou.

The captain and vice-captain of 6th Division came up to greet us. "Good evening, Soifon-taichou, Kumo-sanseki." I noted that the proud captain of the 6th Division and the leader of the Kuchiki clan addressed me. Although Omaeda was still the vice-captain of 2nd Division, the captains seemed to always refer to me as if I were the vice-captain.

Renji looked at us, noting our exhaustion. "Have you two been somewhere? You look rather drained."

I tried to stand straight. "We were training and used up all our reiatsu."

"Oh, is that so…" Renji nodded. "What kind of training are you-"

"Renji." Captain Kuchiki warned. He shot him a cold, piercing glare.

Soifon watched the two. "Our training is a secret. I hope you understand that the Onmitsukidō do not give away their training methods."

Renji gulped. "O-oh… my deepest apologies, Soifon-taichou."

I tried to change the topic. "Where are you going so late in the evening?"

Renji looked a little sad at first. "We've been ordered to capture a criminal in the living world."

I was surprised. "A criminal? Who is the-?"

Soifon stopped me. "That is enough, Kumo."

"Hai, Soifon-taichou." I replied.

Kuchiki-taichou began walking past us. "If there is nothing else, I suggest we go back to our own business. Let's go, Renji."

"Hai, sir!" I noticed how tense Renji got.

When they left, Soifon continued walking as if she had never seen them. I looked back. "Captain… what do you think they are doing?"

Soifon-taichou spoke coldly. "I do not care. It is not my, or your, place to meddle in the affairs of another squad. Leave them be."

I looked back at the captain. "Of course…"

Xxx0o0xxX

It was nightfall when we finally made it back to the squad building. Outside, Soifon-taichou stopped and turned to face me.

"Get some rest, Ku… Kiyashi-kun. You have trained hard today. Recuperate and we will train again in a few days. I'll see you in the morning."

The captain looked more weary and drained in the dark. I said nothing, and instead made my way into my dorm for some much-deserved sleep.

Xxx0o0xxX

The news next morning was shocking.

"W-what? What did you say, Soifon-taichou?" I almost lost control and grabbed her by the shoulders.

Soifon showed no emotion as she spoke. "I believe I have said it very clearly. The 13th Division's Rukia Kuchiki has been arrested by the 6th Division's captain and vice-captain and is now in their holding cell."

"Why? What crimes did Rukia-san commit?" I shouted out.

"The charges are the prolonged stay in the living world, and worse, the forbidden transferring of shinigami powers to a human being. The human has been killed, and Rukia Kuchiki's sentence is…"

Her next word was slow and painful to hear.

"…execution."

I lost control, seizing her by the shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes. Those cold, emotionless eyes. "This… this can't be possible! Rukia-san is…"

Soifon put her hand on one of mine. "This is the final decision of the Central 46. The sentence is inevitable, and as we speak, the method of execution is being decided. There is no way around it." She pulled my hand off her, and began to walk out the office.

"Rukia Kuchiki's execution will be in twenty five days."

Xxx0o0xxX

I was sitting on the chair in the office. I could hear the quiet dripping sound of my tears falling on the desk.

"Why…"

I recalled all the good memories with my friends, the way Rukia-san and Renji always argued like an old married couple…

"Why…"

That night in the Shinigami Academy, the sakura trees and the full moon…

"DAMN IT!" I slammed my hand angrily on the table, heavily damaging it.

My next words didn't feel like my own.

"Rukia-san…"

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Ohh… what part will my OC play in the Ryoka Invasion arc? You'll have to read to find out. Fun chapter, apologies for the shortness. I am really super lazy.

Please R&R! I love reading reviews!


	15. Chapter 13

AN: Hi, thanks for the reviews. About making it non canon though… I really want to do something about it, but I can't really think of many changes, as my plans mostly involve the ryoka invasion from my OC's point of view.

Ugh… I'll do my best, but most of the time you'll see things the same from the anime, but I'll try and make that as rarely as possible.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo-san does.

Xxx0o0xxX

_Renji grabbed on the bars of the 6__th__ Division prison so hard it almost broke. "What… did you say, Captain?"_

_Byakuya looked back at his vice-captain with cold dark eyes. "I will not repeat myself again. With a first degree offense, Rukia Kuchiki is to be held prisoner in the Senzaikyuu for execution, and shall be sent in twenty five days to the Sokyoku Hill for the execution sentence."_

_Renji stared in shock, his hand shaking. He could see in his captain's eyes that he spared no second thought in his sister's sentence._

"_That is Soul Society's final decision," he continued. "This will be the final conversation between you and I." he turned to leave. "Rukia, the next time we meet, it will be the day of your execution."_

Xxx0o0xxX

"I told you, you can't go in!"

"Let go of me! I'm going in no matter what you say! Let me go in!"

"I cannot allow that! Hey, Kotsubaki! Help me out here!"

"Damn right I will! Stop bein' so god damn persistent, Kumo!"

"Shut up! Let go of me, Kotsubaki, Kotetsu! I must speak to Ukitake-taichou!"

"We cannot allow that!"

"That's enough."

The two 3rd Seats of 13th Division immediately stopped pushing me back. "C-captain! You're awake!"

Ukitake-taichou, still dressed in his sleepwear, stepped out of the estate to see what was the commotion outside.

Xxx0o0xxX

"M-my deepest apologies, Ukitake-taichou! When Kumo came here to Ugendo, demanding to see the captain, I immediately thought of your health, and refused to let him in! I did not know that you were already awake! Please punish me, Ukitake-taichou!" Sentarou shouted at the top of his voice, causing his fellow 3rd Seat, Kiyone Kotetsu, to block her ears.

"Damn it, Kotsubaki, you sneaky bastard. Captain! I was also involved with stopping Kumo! Please punish me as well!" she said, covering the other 3rd Seat's mouth with her sleeve.

"What the hell, Kiyone! When are you going to stop copying everything I say?"

Ukitake gestured for them to stop, and coughed. "Stop it, both of you. Please go outside and watch the estate for me while I talk to Kumo-kun."

The two 3rd Seats stopped grabbing at each others' shihakusho and yelling at each other as soon as Ukitake started speaking. "H-hai, Captain! Our deepest apologies!"

They rushed out, closing the door as quickly as they could.

I looked at them leave sadly. "Forgive me for disturbing your recuperation, Ukitake-taichou."

Ukitake smiled at me. "It's fine, Kumo-kun. I think I can understand why you want to see me so badly. It's not often I hear you shouting so loudly."

I looked down at the cup I was holding, seeing my reflection. "Rukia-san… she's been taken to the Senzaikyuu."

"I know," Ukitake-taichou replied.

I looked up desperately. "T-then, Captain Ukitake! Why don't you…"

"Do you think I haven't tried?" Ukitake cut me off. "I am no happier about the Central 46's decision than you are. I tried stating my complaint to them, but they have not responded yet."

"Then why-" I spoke without thinking.

Ukitake gave me a stern look. "I am not willing to break the laws of Soul Society, unless there is no alternative possible. From the looks of it, though, you seem to think the same."

I looked down. "But I…"

I felt the captain's hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. The 13th Division will not just lie back and let this execution take place. If there's nothing within the laws that we can do then…" he seemed to intentionally cover up the last few words. "Well, please, Kumo-kun. Go back to your division and go on. I promise you that we'll do everything we can to prevent this execution-" to my shock, he suddenly started coughing blood.

"Ukitake-taichou!" the white-haired captain was clearly in pain.

The two shinigami outside, upon hearing the coughing, barged in with a loud bang from the door. "Captain!"

Kiyone looked at me. "Please go back to your division, Kumo-kun! We know how to deal with the captain when he's like this, so you don't need to worry!"

Not knowing what to do, I stepped back to leave. "All right… take care of Ukitake-taichou."

Outside Ugendo, the sunlight was slightly stinging to my eyes. Looking up, I realized that the light wasn't the sun.

"What… the hell is that?" There was an enormous glowing globe suspended in the air, large enough to fit about five or six people, trapped in the barrier made by the Sekkiseki.

"It's a high-density shell of spiritual energy… but Sekkiseki is made to prevent anything with reiatsu to come through no matter what..." Any time now, the barrier made by the walls will scatter all the reishi that forms the sphere, and the density of the sphere would cause it to explode.

The explosion was large enough for a large gust of wind to blow across Seireitei. Many other shinigami had left their homes to see what it was. When the huge burst of light split into four parts, each portion flew in the opposite direction of the one next to it.

"A hell butterfly?" the little black messenger perched on my finger, and the message rang clearly in my head. "Intruders… in the Seireitei? They defeated the White Road Gate guardian, Jidanbo, and have invaded the Seireitei? The sources of reiatsu in those bolts of light are _ryoka?_"

The hell butterfly flew into the sky, disappearing into the wind.

Xxx0o0xxX

"_Alert! Alert! Intruders in the Seireitei! All shinigami return to your squads and await orders from your captains!"_

"Damn, where are those ryoka?"

The black cat watched the shinigami run around the Seireitei as if it were a maze. They ran through pathways to find dead ends, turning around and finding a passage they've never seen before, and finding out that it leads to only another dead end. The quick feline watched them with intelligent eyes as they made a pathetic attempt to search for the intruders.

But the shinigami were many, and not all were as inept as the unseated officers. Someone was bound to find them in time. The cat jumped from one wall to the next, unseen by anyone.

Xxx0o0xxX

"Soifon-taichou!" I ran to the captain, who turned to face me as soon as she heard me.

She watched the lines of light still in the sky, a residue of the falling bolts of reiatsu. "Did you receive the message about the ryoka?"

I nodded. "Hai, Captain!"

"Good." She took one look at me. "That idiot Omaeda ran off somewhere and I can't contact him. Knowing him, he's either slacking off or trying to get killed looking for them himself. If those ryoka are able to force their way into the Seireitei they must have some power."

"What do you want me to do, Captain?" I asked.

She handed me a strange letter. "I'm temporarily assigning you as commander of Squads 3 and 4 of the Keigun. Go out, find those ryoka, and get rid of them. Give this letter to the leaders of the squads."

"Hai. And Omaeda?"

Soifon sighed. "If the fool's really gone to try and find the ryoka himself, I want you to try your best to help him stay alive, or I'll never be able to deal with his family. If he's just hiding somewhere, he's no longer our concern." She took a step back. "Go."

I flash stepped away.

Xxx0o0xxX

"Every day I continue my apathetic command over the Onmitsukidō. Every day I become stronger, and closer to that height you stand on. I will surpass you, no matter where you may be…"

Xxx0o0xxX

The executive militia followed me as I followed the traces of a fading reiatsu. "Hurry up," I commanded. "I want to get to that site where they landed before the trace vanishes."

"Yes, sir!" they all called out behind me.

A scout appeared before me, kneeling down. "3rd Seat Kumo, we have found the location of Omaeda-fukutaichou! He is currently hunting down the ryoka with the Patrol Corps. What do we do, sir?"

I looked to the side. "Forget him. The ryoka's more important. He's smart enough, or cowardly enough, to run away if he's going to die. I want to get to that ryoka first."

The scout nodded. A second one flash stepped next to him. "3rd Seat! We've found another source of reiatsu from a possible ryoka! This one is greater and less controlled than the first!"

_Damn it… they're too fast._ I made a decision. "Fine. Send Squads 3 and 4 over to find that ryoka. I'll deal with this side myself."

The scout looked reluctant. "But, sir…"

"If this ryoka has higher and wild reiatsu, it's more important to hunt him down first. I'll handle the minor one." I replied. "But…" I flash stepped away before he could finish.

Xxx0o0xxX

I arrived too late. It was the scene of a still-burning battle, but the winner and loser was obvious. The ryoka was young, still in his teens, wearing a white robe that looked nothing close to a shihakusho, as well as carrying a large bow in his hand.

His opponent was the so-called 'Kamaitachi' and brother of gate guardian Jidanbo. A famous shinigami amongst the seated officers. He was beaten, his hand bleeding, his blade broken.

He was talking. "You… you are letting me go?"

The ryoka's expression did not change. "I am a Quincy. I show no mercy to shinigami, but…" he lowered his bow. "I don't particularly enjoy killing weaklings." His weapon began to glow, and the light was absorbed into his hand.

"Get lost, or I might change my mind." He commanded.

The face of the 'Kamaitachi' was unreadable in the shadow. "I see… you are a very kind and generous person." But it was easy to see his mouth split into a wicked grin.

_Idiot, _A voice in my head said. _He ruined his last chance for survival._

He turned to attack a young girl, about the same age as the ryoka, that I had not noticed at first. "But in the battlefield, that's a-"

The ryoka had done something that shocked me. He had suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of him, protecting the girl. "Shunpo? No, that's impossible… he's just a human."

_Quincy…_ the word was familiar somewhere, possibly from a book on history, but it was difficult to remember while watching a fight.

The ryoka boy's bow had reformed again. "You were thinking of attacking Inoue-san just because you knew you couldn't beat me, right? Or perhaps taking her as a hostage?"

The large shinigami cursed. "H-how did you…?"

"I said I don't like killing weaklings, but…" with an impassive face, he created a strange arrow created by reishi. "…I have nothing against tearing the mask of cowards." The arrow enlarged, and the reishi near the edge spun like a razor. "I noticed. You've just been targeting Inoue-san rather than me since the beginning. It's rude to attack a lady when she's not looking. One with honor would not do such a thing. It's the way a coward fights. Amazing." The arrow launched. "and goodbye. I won't even give you time to regret."

The arrow split, creating two thinner projectiles that pierced the shinigami's chest and sent him flying backwards. The Quincy turned away, his bow fading. "Come out," he said.

I narrowed my eyes, and flash stepped to the fallen shinigami's side. "You are cruel. You completely destroyed his Saketsu and Hakusui. Even if he does survive, he'll cease to be a shinigami forever."

His eyes behind the glasses grew fiercer. "So what? He's a shinigami, and my enemy, and what's more, he used the most cowardly tactic ever known. I do not show mercy to such people."

The girl, who the Quincy continuously called 'Inoue', spoke concernedly to her friend. "Ishida-kun…"

He stopped the girl with his arm. "Stay back, Inoue-san. You can sense his reiatsu. He is no pushover like the one I just defeated. This one will be more dangerous for you." His bow reformed for the second time. "You do not have a reason to answer, but I must ask , who are you?"

I drew my sword. "3rd Seat of the 2nd Squad, and second-in-command of the Onmitsukidō Keigun forces, Kiyashi Kumo."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That loser back there spoke of himself as the '4th Seat of 7th Division'. You're only one rank apart, but your reiatsu…" he pushed his glasses up with his free hand. "You said you were second-in-command of the Onmitsukidō. I believe those are the Stealth Forces, correct? I'd say I'm honored, I didn't think I'd attract the attention of the most militarized force in the Soul Society." He pulled the string on his bow back, creating another reishi arrow. "Since you were courteous and introduced your name, I will be polite and offer mine. Uryu Ishida. The Last Quincy, and the person who will kill you."

The arrow fired, but it seemed as though he had sorely underestimated me. "Hado No. 4, Byakurai." The lightning bolt hit the arrow, dispersing it. The Quincy only seemed mildly surprised that I managed to stop his attack.

"True," I began, "that I am only a 3rd Seat. But don't think… that you can defeat me that easily just because you have slain a person only one rank below me. How naïve."

My black reiatsu flowed out with an ominous aura.

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Ooh. Kiyashi vs. Uryu. This fight is going to be fun. The whole chapter was actually pretty hard to write, as I feel as though I am getting repetitive in the way I right. Sorry. Don't worry, I'll improve.

Anyway, you should all know who the cat is. Shame on you if you don't know who the cat is. Every Bleach fan should know who the cat is. :)

I might have screwed up the timeline a bit, as the fight between Uryu and Jirobo was a bit later than immediately after they dropped down, but I really wanted to start on this fight. So it's taking place at the same time as Ichigo's fight against Ikkaku.

Please R&R!

Saketsu (鎖結, _Binding Chain_)and Hakusui (魄睡, _Soul Sleep_) are what provides a shinigami with reiatsu. Destruction of either (I think, or both) will cause the shinigami to permanently lose their powers, unless their powers were given by someone else and they already had power hidden in them to begin with.


	16. Chapter 14

AN: Wow, the latest comments all start the same. Quite aggressive though. I guess you guys must really dislike Uryu.

The Uryu vs. Kurotsuchi battle will still take place, in this chapter, in fact, but I'm not going to go into detail about it. It will, however, start in a different way.

Still, it's a pity. That fight was really epic. And I won't be going straight to the Arrancar arc.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Bleach at all.

Xxx0o0xxX

My reiatsu flowed out of me smoothly. The Quincy named Ishida was pointing his bow at me again, a larger arrow notched. It was obvious he wasn't going to hold back this time.

To my surprise, he used the shunpo-like ability again, appearing behind me, giving me only a split second to block the arrow.

"Tch…" he had managed to put a dent on Kurokage with that stronger arrow. "I'm surprised. You really are no ordinary human. What is that move called?"

"Hirenkyaku." He replied.

Ishida began to fire more arrows at me, each one exploding into the ground as I dodged.

_He's firing them quickly… not rapid fire, but he can launch them one after the other without taking time to recover._ I looked at his bow, and realized he had notched two arrows at once. I circled him, and though the first arrow missed, the second cut me on the wrist. _He can fire two at once as well. What a confusing technique. If he keeps going on like this, I'll never get my close-range hits in._

I raised my hand towards him. "Hado No. 31, Shakkaho!"

The arrow fired at the Kido, but managed to pierce cleanly through it this time. With even less reaction time than usual, the arrow hit my left thigh.

"Agh…!" I reached down to crush the reishi arrow, continue to run around him. _It's no good… he's focusing the power on his arrows more now. But would I have time to use an incantation?_

The Quincy used his Hirenkyaku to appear behind me. "Strange. I actually managed to surprise an Onmitsukidō member." He fired.

I bit my tongue. "Bakudo No. 39, Enkosen!"

A shield of condensed reishi blocked the projectiles, giving me time to jump back.

Ishida released one hand from his bow. "What did you do that for? I've noticed, besides your Kido, you have no long-ranged attacks at all. At that distance, you're defenseless." He shifted behind me again. "This time, my arrows will be surrounding _you_."

I knocked aside more arrows. "Obscure, Kurokage!" My Shikai activated, staining the entire sword black, even though I wasn't sure what I could do with it.

My opponent's relentless assault didn't stop. "You've released your zanpakutō? It doesn't matter. If your Shikai had any ranged attacks, you would have released it at the beginning of the battle. And even if it could attack long ranged, I doubt you'd be able to hit me the speed I'm going at."

I smirked. "You sure enjoy talking smart, don't you…" I watched his movements, determined to figure out the pattern behind his movements.

_He always launches the first arrow where the enemy is facing, and as soon as he launches it, he uses his Hirenkyaku to move to the opposite direction and fires a second, and the time between is so short the two arrows hit the target at the same time. _I watched, continuously dodging the arrows. _But he can't rapid-fire. If he could, he'd fire two arrows in one direction when he thinks I'm going to block, so I'll be left defenseless against the second arrow. But if he can't rapid fire, then…_

I stopped, and the Quincy stopped as well.

"So… you've stopped avoiding my attacks. Does that mean you're ready to die by my bow?" he asked me. His arrow was large, and it was still charging.

I curled my fingers, creating a thick steel pole. "Bakudo No. 62… Hyapponrankan."

Throwing the steel beam caused it to split into countless smaller ones. "If you can't rapid fire, then you can't protect yourself from other rapid-fire attacks." I pointed my blade into the opposite direction I had faced. "And even if you use your technique to escape the Kido, I'm prepared."

"What?" he fired his still-charging arrow. "You can't block this one like the others. This arrow is fully charged."

Turning the tip of the blade downwards, I prepared to use my zanpakutō's power. "I won't. _Kurokage – Gyakuryū._"

The portal absorbed the arrow, closing at the center of my tsuba. During the time I spent training with Soifon-taichou, I had learned a few more things from Kurokage. I had learned how to properly use the Gyakuryū ability, and manage the size of the portal to avoid draining away all my reiatsu like the first time I used it.

The Quincy, Ishida's hand was emitting smoke. "What was that just now?"

I stabbed the blade into the ground. Large binding ropes entangled the Quincy's leg, growing until it reached his arms. "My Kurokage manipulates shadows. With it I can transform the tip of my blade that emerges from your shadow into anything I wish." I touched the end of the zanpakutō's handle with my finger. "It's over."

A blackened version of Ishida's fully charged arrow was fired towards him. It was aiming for his head, and once it hit, the ryoka would be dead.

The reishi that formed the arrow was enormous, and as soon as it came in contact, it exploded into a fairly large blast.

I pulled the blade out of the ground and sheathed it. But as I turned to leave, a strangely shaped reiatsu behind me drew my attention.

"What… is that?" A glowing triangular shield, protecting the user from the arrow, was covering the Quincy as well as the human girl.

"_Santen Kesshun._" She said.

Xxx0o0xxX

"A barrier?" I watched it begin to crack. "It's not Kido, or any known shinigami technique. Who are you?"

The shield shattered, and the girl fell to her knees. Using the ability seemed to take energy from her, and it seemed as if she had already used it to her limit.

Ishida had been freed from my shadow ropes, but was lying on the ground. "Inoue-san! Run away! You can't fight him when you've used up all your energy and when your Tsubaki was damaged in the previous fight!"

I didn't give them a chance. "Bakudo No. 63, Sajo Sabaku." I could have used the lower level Hainawa for the same effect, but I had to take the heaviest precautions. The glowing chain bound them both.

_Quincy…_ now that the battle had ended, I could think a lot clearer. "I remember now. You're a Quincy, a race of spiritually aware humans that were killed by the shinigami for upsetting the balance of the spirit world."

Ishida tried to break free of my Kido, and I suddenly felt glad I had taken the safe path. "So… what if I am?"

"Is that why you're here?" I asked. "Revenge on what the shinigami did you your kind?"

The Quincy stopped struggling. "I couldn't care less about the history of my kind. Sensei had told me the true reason for the extermination, and I believed it was right. No… we're here… to save someone."

I was hit with shock. "Save… someone? Who?"

The girl was looking at me. "We're here to save Kuchiki-san."

"What?" I looked at them with sad eyes. "I see. In that case, I will…" I was interrupted by the sound of shunpo. A lot of them.

Three different groups had appeared. The Keigun Squads 3 and 4 that I sent to chase the other ryoka, Omaeda's Patrol Corps, and a group of shinigami from the 12th Squad.

"Sir!" the leader of the Keigun squad said. "We had hunted down where the source of the wild reiatsu, but when we got to the site, we found that the ryoka had escaped and defeated the 3rd Seat of 11th Division, Ikkaku Madarame-sama!"

"That's probably Kurosaki's doing…" I heard the bound Quincy whisper.

It was a surprise. The 11th Division was the self-proclaimed strongest battle division, and though lacking in every other form of expertise, they were known for being extremely strong fighters.

"He defeated the 11th Squad's 3rd Seat, huh…?" I was cut off.

Cut off by Omaeda. "Hey, Kumo! What's the meaning of this? I was hunting after a ryoka near the opposite side of the Seireitei, and when I got to the reiatsu source, I found that 11th Squad bald guy lying on the floor half dead, and guess what? I crashed headfirst into the Keigun Squads! They said you were leadin' them!"

I waved him off. "So what if did? I was more than capable of dealing with these two ryoka, and it was best for me to send anyone unnecessary to handle the other disturbance."

Omaeda dropped his bag of snacks. "That's not the problem! Handlin' that other ryoka was my job! Who gave you the command to take half the Keigun huntin' for them?"

A female voice behind him spoke. "I did."

Omaeda froze. Sweating, he turned slowly to see the person speaking. "S-Soifon-taichou!" he gulped. "Well… if the Captain gave the order, then I guess it can't be helped. I'll just be…"

"Freeze," Soifon commanded.

Another voice interrupted her, one more sinister. "My, my, what is all this noise so early in the day?"

I turned. "Kurotsuchi-taichou…"

Soifon faced the 12th Squad's captain, the irritation replaced with her usual look. "What is the meaning of this, Kurotsuchi? I don't think you're the time to take your men out for a stroll and happen to find a pair of ryoka."

Kurotsuchi scratched at his strange ear-like object. "_Please._ Don't insult my intelligence. I simply sensed two strange reiatsu outside of the Department and, upon realizing that they were not shinigami, obviously decided to take my men over here and check."

Soifon looked to the ryoka, and then looked at me. "You're late, then. My efficient 3rd Seat has already defeated and apprehended the two ryoka. I assume that you would want them for study, wouldn't you?"

The macabre captain stepped closer and pulled at the chain. "Tch… Sajo Sabaku is a pain to break. Well, whatever. I'll just examine them like this."

The Quincy ryoka yelled out. "Examine? What do you think we are? Who are you?"

Captain Kurotsuchi grinned. "My, you're loud. And conveniently, you're the one I'm not interested in."

"What?" Ishida asked angrily.

"I mean what I said. I am simply not interested in Quincys anymore. I've studied no less that 2661 of your breed so far, and every single one turned out the same."

Ishida's eyes widened. "You've… studied us?"

"Yes," Kurotsuchi replied. "From that first one to the last old geezer, I've studied every kind of you Quincy from young to old, but really, there's nothing worth studying about you at all."

"Old… geezer?"

"That's right. He was some dirty old man who we collected after we delayed the rescue team. He just continued to call out the name of some student or son or grandchild or something like that. It was really creepy. Here, I've still got a picture of the examination." He pulled a small photograph out of his haori. "It was taken after the experiment, though, so it looks quite different from the original."

"Kurotsuchi…" Soifon whispered.

The Quincy was surprised upon seeing the picture. "There's no… way…"

"Ishida… kun?" the ryoka girl asked.

He was shaking with anger. "This man… his name is Soken Ishida. My name is Uryu Ishida…" he began.

Kurotsuchi narrowed his sinister yellow eyes. "Oh? This is fascinating."

"Soken Ishida… was my teacher and my grandfather… and was killed by Hollows because the shinigami could not make it in time… you did it? You… you're the one who killed him!" his hand reached for the white glove to his hand.

Kurotsuchi stepped back. "So what if I am. Are you going to do something about it, Quincy?"

"_Burn too strong a flame, and you will burn thyself._ That's what sensei told me when he gave me this Sanrei Glove. He told me to never take it off… but to kill you, I am willing to sacrifice anything, even my power!" He pulled at a small point on the glove, snapping it.

The reiatsu unleashed afterwards was enormous. "Quincy, Letzt Stil." Ishida's voice said, but the strength of his spiritual energy nearly blew us away. My Sajo Sabaku cracked from the sudden blast.

The Quincy used his Hirenkyaku and carried the girl away, returning almost instantly. Soifon-taichou was covering her face from the rubble and dust blowing with the wind.

"Kurotsuchi-"she started.

"Go away. This specimen interests me after all. I don't want your Onmitsukidō getting your hands anywhere near this ryoka. Leave now."

I thought Soifon-taichou would argue, but she simply grabbed me on my shihakusho. "It's your fault he released this power anyway. You deal with it. I'll just take my squad and leave. Come on, Omaeda!"

"H-hai, Captain!"

Xxx0o0xxX

We could still feel the vast reiatsu several blocks away. It was far above the average captain's level.

"Was it really alright to leave Kurotsuchi-taichou?" I asked the captain.

Soifon gave an annoyed look. "I don't care. If Kurotsuchi thinks he can handle it, I will not argue. It does not matter to me whether he lives or dies."

My mind was elsewhere. _'We are here to save Kuchiki-san,'_ the girl had said. They were doing what I had strongly wished to do, and I stopped them.

A member of the Riteitai stopped us. "Soifon-taichou! I bring a message from the Captain-Commander!"

We all stopped moving. "A message? What is it?"

The messenger lifted his hat a little. "Hai. This message has been sent by order of Yamamoto-sotaichou and 10th Division's Hitsugaya-taichou. The 5th Division's captain, Sosuke Aizen-sama… has been murdered."

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: I apologize for the cutoff ending for the Uryu/Kurotsuchi thing. I really am not interested in writing about something that is much more interesting to watch on anime.

Please Read and Review!


	17. Chapter 15

AN: Thanks for all the reviews, people. Since the recent ones seem to have a lot more questions about my fic, I'll try and answer some of them.

The not using shunpo thing… I forgot about shunpo. Besides, it's not like he needed it.

About Kumo's zanpakutō Kurokage… it's definitely more powerful in darkened areas. It can only affect areas not touched by a large amount of sunlight, which prevents the tip of the blade, which otherwise can become anything, from becoming too large. The only shadow that the zanpakutō can alter or transform is his own, or if his shadow crosses with another person's. As for Bankai, I haven't quite thought of it yet.

I won't be getting rid of Omaeda, but I'll likely beat him up a lot so Kumo can temporarily take over his position a few times.

As for arcs, besides the main story arcs, I'm definitely doing the Zanpakutō Rebellion(unless the readers are against it), and maybe the Amagai arc. No way I'm getting anywhere near the Bount arc, though. That arc was fairly well-written, but the story and inconsistency was ridiculous. Ichigo, who defeated Kenpachi and Renji with only Shikai, can't even deal with three little Mod Souls? O.O

No tears shed over that, of course. Besides, the Bount arc was stupidly long. I'd have to write about 20 chapters just to get through it.

Edit: Re-edited Gin's speech. I wrote 'smiles' instead of 'cries', which didn't make sense.

Disclaimer: I still do not own Bleach, and I never will.

Xxx0o0xxX

"Sosuke Aizen-taichou of the 5th Division… has been murdered."

I nearly reeled over from hearing the sentence. "Aizen-taichou… killed?"

The Riteitai messenger nodded. "Hai. The autopsy and examination on the corpse show the forced removal of his Saketsu and Hakusui, and then the piercing of his heart with a zanpakutō. No traces of his opponent's reiatsu were found."

"What… what about Hinamori-fukutaichou?"Omaeda asked the messenger, sweating.

"Hinamori-fukutaichou was the first to find Aizen-taichou's body impaled on the wall outside the Captain's meeting hall." He replied.

"But what _happened _to her?" I grabbed the Riteitai by the collar, ignoring the looks the captain and vice-captain shot me. "Where is she now?"

The messenger gulped. "Hinamori-fukutaichou… attacked the 3rd Division's Captain Ichimaru for unknown reasons on sight of him. She… as well as Kira-fukutaichou… were arrested by the 10th Division's Hitsugaya-taichou for attempted assault on each other."

I dropped the Riteitai and turned my head to Soifon-taichou. "Captain."

She nodded. "Return quickly. We'll be waiting at the division building."

Jumping off the wall we stood on, I flash stepped away.

Xxx0o0xxX

There were two voices, both female. "…you're lucky my captain found it. It would have never gotten to you if someone else took it and submitted it as evidence."

"T… thank you very much!"

I quietly stepped through the corridor before the person outside the prison cage left. "Hinamori… and Matsumoto-fukutaichou is here as well?"

Matsumoto seemed to ignore me, until she was about to pass. She took a hold of my shoulder. "I told you to just call me Rangiku." She said quietly. "Your sister and I are good friends, so you shouldn't address me so formally, Kiyashi."

I looked to her, only seeing her hair and the lower part of her face. Even though I was only able to see that much, the plain sadness on her face, unusual as it was, showed clearly.

"All right, Rangiku-san." I tried to say, slowly. She turned to face me, speaking even more quietly, seemingly to avoid letting Hinamori hear us.

"She's in denial. Don't push her." Letting go of my shoulder, she walked to the doorway, where I noticed the sun was setting.

Hinamori watched me as I got closer to the cage and held onto one of the bars. "Why are you here, Kumo-kun?"

The shadows under her eyes showed obvious signs of insomnia. "That's my question. Why did Hitsugaya-taichou put you and Kira in prison?"

She almost seemed afraid to look me in the eyes. Did it look like I was accusing her?

"I attacked Ichimaru-taichou… and Kira-kun…" her eyes widened. "That's right!" She ran up to the bars and grabbed them, almost desperately. "Please, don't worry about me! Go and find Hitsugaya-kun!"

I took a step back from the cage. "What are you talking about, Hinamori-chan?"

Hinamori took many deep breaths. "Rangiku-san said… she said that there's no evidence about Aizen-taichou's murderer or his motive, but I know… I know Aizen-taichou's killer definitely was Ichimaru! Hitsugaya-kun should be the first to know!"

I shook my head. "I can't do that, Hinamori! For a non-captain to accuse a captain of a crime as serious as murder is a crime in itself without proof!"

"That's why… that's why Hitsugaya-kun needs to know!"

I stepped closer to the cage again and watched tears begin to form in Hinamori's eyes. "I wasn't there when you attacked Ichimaru-taichou and Kira. I don't know what it was like, but Hinamori, you have to think this through! There are ryoka invading the Seireitei right now, so one of them could have been the killer!"

Hinamori wildly shook her head. "But, but Aizen-taichou was killed by a zanpakutō! I saw the body! Even the other vice-captains saw it!"

I reached in and touched her head. "Don't be like that. I can only guess at how you feel, but you have to remember, the Seireitei is under invasion. The Gotei 13 can't afford to lose two captains in such a short time." The desperation did not leave Hinamori's face. "Don't worry. I'll do my best to try and find out who the murderer is. If it really is Ichimaru…-taichou, I will persuade my Captain to bring him to justice. For now, please just calm down and wait it out. I'll try to bring you good news."

I began to leave the prison. "Aizen-taichou left you a letter, didn't he? Read it. I really envy you, Hinamori. Even at the end, the Captain's last words are for you."

Hinamori turned back to sit in the darkness.

Xxx0o0xxX

I was leaving the prison room when I realized there was someone there. "I-Ichimaru-taichou!"

The 3rd Division's captain grinned at me. "Ya just had a chat with Hinamori-chan, din't ya? The poor lil' dear must be sufferin' bad."

I tried to nod normally, but my neck felt stiff and cold. "If… if there's nothing else, please excuse me."

Ichimaru laughed. "Don't let me keep ya. I'm sure Captain Soifon-chan must be waitin' fer ya."

Trying to walk away without betraying my fear, I realized after a few steps that Ichimaru wasn't moving. "Ichimaru-taichou?"

I could only see the captain's back, but it seemed as if his grin grew deeper. "Nothin'. I was jus' thinkin', life nowadays sure is confusin', isn't it, Kumo-kun?"

A trickle of sweat ran down my face, despite the cold. "It is…" I took another step, but my feet felt as if they were frozen hard. "Ichimaru-taichou… do you know anything about Aizen-taichou's murder?" With difficulty I tried to look back.

The fox-like captain turned his face a little. It was a few seconds before he spoke. "Nope. Nothin' at all."

"I see." My eyes narrowed. "Scary, isn't it?"

Ichimaru's lips split a little, revealing a bit of his teeth. "Scary it is. I wonder, who will go next…?" he chuckled. "Ah, that is, if he is gonna go next at all."

_How can he remain so calm, when there's signs of a captain-level murderer on the loose? Could he really be…_ "Rangiku-san's worried." I said.

To my surprise, the smile on the captain's face disappeared. "Is she now…"

"She's worried." I said again. "About you, Ichimaru-taichou. She never told me, but anyone who knows Rangiku-san would see it on her face."

Ichimaru smiled again. "Ahh, poor Ran-chan. She's still a child in so many ways. I jus' dunno what to do with her." A skinny finger touched his chin. "It can' be helped, tho'. When someone holds on to ya and cries, you jus' have ta return their embrace, whether to comfort her, or…"

A glint of red made me wonder whether he had just opened his eyes for an instant. I turned back to face ahead of me. "Or what, Ichimaru-taichou?"

No response.

"Ichi…" I turned my entire body back, to find that the captain was gone.

Xxx0o0xxX

The 2nd Division was busy the next day. The Correction and Patrol Corps were out hunting for the ryoka, while the Riteitai were relaying messages to the different squads about the incident with Aizen.

Soifon-taichou and Omaeda-fukutaichou were out with their respective groups. I was left behind to handle all of the duties in the squad building.

"3rd Seat Kumo!" a messenger stopped me midway in a corridor. "A vile liquid claiming to be Kurotsuchi-taichou was seen making its way to the 12th Division buildings! The Captain seems to have lost his fight against the ryoka!"

Remembering the enormous reiatsu that exploded from the Quincy when he removed that strange glove, I wasn't surprised.

"Leave him. As long as he isn't dead, it's none of our business. Actually, it's not our business even if he died." I replied to the shinigami as I passed through.

"There's something else, 3rd Seat Kumo." The messenger continued. "A report given from a member of the 8th Squad is here for the Captain, but as she isn't here, it is to be given to you."

I took the report and opened it. "That's it…" I looked to the messenger. "It says here that the 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyoraku-san has defeated one of the ryoka and has sent it to the 4th Division to be treated." I read the footnote. "It seems there's one more ryoka, or one more group, that's making their way to… the Senzaikyuu? Why are they going there?"

"The Senzaikyuu is the area where Rukia Kuchiki-sama is held, sir."

I nodded. _We're here to save Kuchiki-san_. I remembered in my head. "That is all. You may leave."

I turned left to go into my office, and shut the door with a quick bang. It was frustrating having to deal with the tasks of the Captain and Vice-Captain at the same time.

I yawned. "What the…" something was sitting on my desk. "A cat?"

The cat, completely black as ashes, watched me with bright amber eyes. "What is a cat doing here?" I stepped closer to the creature, and it didn't flee. "Go away."

It did nothing, only shooting me with a stern look. The sudden footsteps of another messenger, however, made it perk its ears up in surprise and jump out of the window.

"What a strange cat…" the door opened. "What is it?"

The shinigami kneeled. "Sir, the traces of the final group of ryoka has been discovered. From reports from the other squads, this ryoka is Ichigo Kurosaki, the boy that defeated Ikkaku Madarame-sama of the 11th. They are reaching the stairway to the Senzaikyuu."

I looked out the window. "How many squads of the Keigun are still here?"

The shinigami thought for a moment. "There's only Squad 2 left."

_That's not enough…_ I thought. "Leave them. Their last task was rough, let them rest. I'll go myself."

Xxx0o0xxX

There were three ryoka, and their appearances were as imposing as the amount of spiritual pressure that they had.

The weakest reiatsu was from a young shinigami, carrying a first-aid kit that identified him as a member of the 4th Division. He seemed to have turned against his fellow shinigami for whatever reason.

The second, with much more recognizable energy, yet still unremarkable, was emanating from a large, stocky man wearing a lot of green. A small, thick blade hung from the back of his waist similar to how Soifon-taichou wore hers. A small container rested above the knife.

However, the strongest source of reiatsu drew my attention almost immediately. It was uncontrolled, constantly fluctuating from low to immensely high. His orange hair almost seemed to burn like a torch in the sunlight, and a huge zanpakutō, almost his size, was strapped on his back, covered in cloth. This boy must have been Ichigo Kurosaki.

They reached the area before the stairs, where they stopped. "The security is weak here," the orange-haired boy said, looking around, but not thinking to look up. "They must've not sensed us yet."

"OK!" his friend, the bulky man wearing the strange green outfit replied loudly, pointing a thumb up. "Let's go!"

He was about to charge up the stairs, but the 4th Squad boy seemed reluctant to follow.

As for the orange-hair, he seemed to have noticed me already. He was watching the area alertly, hand occasionally straying to his back for his zanpakutō.

"What's wrong, Ichigo-san?" the boy asked.

Kurosaki closed his eyes. "Wait. Something's not right. I think we're bein' followed."

"Huh?" his larger friend ran back. "But didn't you just say they prob'ly haven't found us yet?"

"I can sense someone. Whoever the hell you are, get out here now!"

"Tch…" my cover blown, I leaped of my perch, high above the three of them. They were surprised as I jumped down.

"Here you are." I said. "Leader of the Ryokas, usurper of Rukia Kuchikis powers, unofficial shinigami. Ichigo Kurosaki-dono."

The orange-haired shinigami put his hand on his oversized zanpakutō. "Who the hell are you? How do you know me?"

I pulled Kurokage out of its sheath. "You don't need to hear my answer. I apologize for this, but I have little choice in this matter."

"Who the hell are you?" Kurosaki yelled again.

I sighed. "If you truly want to know, as pointless as it may be… 3rd Seat of the 2nd Division. Second-in-command of the Onmitsukidō Keigun forces. Kiyashi Kumo."

The bulky man looked to the smaller shinigami. "Hana… do you have any idea who this pretty-boy is?"

'Hana' was shivering in fear. "The name… it's unfamiliar, but his outfit, and who he introduced himself as… he's a member of the Keigun. The Executive Militia. This is really bad! The Keigun… they are known for being the most militarized force in the whole Soul Society." He took a deep breath. "They… only care for one thing. The execution of their mission. Death and suffering do not matter to them. If he's second-in-command, he answers to the 2nd Squad's Soifon-taichou herself! If Ichigo-san fights an experienced veteran like him… then…"

"That's enough, Hanataro, Ganju." Kurosaki said. "You only answered one of my questions. I want to know, how do you know me?"

"I believe I already told you," I replied coldly. "You have no need to hear my answer. My task is to kill you here and now. That is all."

The ryoka grinned. "Is that so? Then… I'll just hafta beat 'em outta you!" the cloth on his zanpakutō unwrapped and shortened, and the orange-head charged at me.

_He's not even using shunpo…_ I watched, slowing down his movements with my eyes and mind. "_You're slow,"_ With shunpo, I disappeared and reappeared behind him, ready to slash him from behind.

"I'll finish this myself."

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: I am very happy about this chapter. My favorite writing so far. Kumo vs. Ichigo will commence next chapter. Wait for it. If you read the preview on Chapter 10 Part 2, you'll notice this is much longer. It had to be.

Ichimaru's acting kinda creepy… suits me just fine. I know his eyes are supposed to be blue instead of red, but the red eyes just looked cooler.

'A vile liquid claiming to be Kurotsuchi-taichou' – I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that. I just thought it was funny after I added it for some reason.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know I did. Please R&R!


	18. Chapter 16

AN: About getting through canon… it's difficult thinking of a good plot twist for the Soul Society arc, since the original is so good to begin with. The story is being told at my character's point of view, so the things you read are mostly different.

Next arc will be the restarting of the Ancient Arrancar arc, and there'll be a new group of enemies. Who they are… you'll have to wait to find out.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Bleach at all.

Xxx0o0xxX

"You're slow." My blade swung down like a guillotine, about to split the ryoka, Ichigo Kurosaki, in half.

Kurokage clashed with his oversized zanpakutō, blocking the strike by raising his weapon above his head. "But your reaction time is quick."

The orange-head looked at me with his left eye. "Don't bullshit me," using his surprisingly high strength, he swung back at me, forcing me to jump back. "Yours is better!"

I observed his stance. He was tense, but the way he held his weapon in a kendo pose allowed him to maneuver easily, whether to defend or attack. "I'm curious… what's with your zanpakutō?"

He seemed surprised that I would ask such a question during battle. "Huh? You mean my Zangetsu?" He shifted his eyes a little to look at the back of his sword instead. "I dunno… I know its name, but it doesn't release like everyone's when called."

_I see…_ I sensed his fluctuating reiatsu again. _He doesn't seem to know his zanpakutō is a forced Shikai due to all that uncontrolled reiatsu. In that case, I'll show him mine as well. _"I'll show you my release. Obscure, Kurokage."

Kurosaki readied himself, tensing up again. "Your sword turned black?" he was looking at my sword rather than my body. "Is that all it's supposed to do?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What more did you expect?"

He shrugged. "Well… I've only seen three releases so far, and all of them made their zanpakutō change shape. I thought all sword releases were supposed to change their appearances?"

I smirked. "My zanpakutō is Kido-based. Let me give you a demonstration." I stabbed the blade of Kurokage into the floor.

For a second, it seemed as though nothing happened, until tiny needles emerged from the ryoka's shadow and flew at him.

Kurosaki jumped back. "What the hell is this?" Knocking away a few needles, he saw them disintegrate as they touched sunlight. "I get it now. Your zanpakutō makes things fly outta my shadow when you stab it into the ground. Pretty cheap-ass ability you have there!"

Readying my defenses as the ryoka charged at me, I raised a finger. "Hado No. 31, Shakkaho." The blast of flame was about to fly at Kurosaki, but a louder voice bellowed out.

It was the other two ryoka, whom I had forgotten about. One was holding a handful of something. "Senpen Banka!"

"Shakudama?" Small balls of filled with explosive powder used for fireworks were thrown towards the Kido while it was charging, causing both the Shakkaho and the shakudama to explode. "Tch… cheap tricks…" I covered my eyes from the smoke, and jumped backwards until I was out of the smoke cloud. My hand was burned from the surprise attack. "So… you want to join in the fight, ryoka?"

Although the ryoka had made a daring move, he seemed to have had no plan B for what happens after he attacked. I leaped at them.

"Aaaiiee! Ganju-san! He's coming for us!" the small 4th Squad shinigami hid behind the larger one.

Kurosaki yelled out from the side to attract my attention. I turned my head, and found that he was running towards me with his sword raised.

Instead of blocking, I used shunpo to jump away from the attack, which seemed to have been a good idea after the heavy strike Kurosaki made crushed all the stone that he hit.

A trickle of blood ran down the side of my face. With my burned hand, I wiped it off. "You're good. I wasn't expecting to be hit even though I used my shunpo."

He faced me, and even at the distance I could see the will to win burning in his eyes.

Xxx0o0xxX

"Where's Kumo-sanseki?" Soifon asked the shinigami.

The messenger kneeled. "Kumo-sanseki was taking care of the duties in the building, but the Patrol Corps gave in a report on the location of the final group of ryoka. The 3rd Seat left to hunt them."

Soifon nodded. "That's fine, then. Where was the last ryoka found?"

"The ryoka were seen making their way to the Senzaikyuu. The Patrol Corps chased them, but lost them very soon after."

"So they're here for Kuchiki after all…"

Xxx0o0xxX

Even without shunpo, the boy was proving to be a strong and surprisingly fast fighter. The ground was marked with the strong blows caused by his attacks, and every time I thought I had seen an opening, he was able to counter it with precision.

The sleeve of my right arm was cut. I tore it off and threw it aside. "You're strong."

His face was impassive. "I have to be. I have to be able to defeat anyone to save Rukia."

I lowered my blade a slight amount. "Why? Rukia-san was gone for the living world for only a short time. Why are you so determined to risk your life to save her?"

"I owe her my life. She's the reason I'm even standing here right now." He took a step forwards. "And even if I don't owe her anything, I can't just do nothing when a friend gets taken away in front of me!"

I closed my eyes. "I see. Then I truly regret what I must do. Doing this brings me no pleasure at all." I lunged at him, blade pointed.

He blocked another hit, pushing me back. Giving out a loud battle cry, he swung the blade at me, cutting off a couple of my hairs, as well as making a deeper cut on my cheek.

I jumped back, trying to avoid his second hit. I felt the wound, and swung my blade, flicking off a small amount of blood that came from his arm.

_He fights as aggressively as Renji… _"If we keep fighting at this rate, we'll both die. What a pity… I didn't think I'd have to resort to drastic measures like this…" I began building up reiatsu. The ground around me gave way and cracked at the intensity.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kurosaki asked.

"This is an extremely unstable technique that was designed by my captain. I didn't think you'd be strong enough to force me to use it. As you can probably tell, it's as unstable as a wild tempest." I began to gather the sudden rush of reiatsu in my sword. "It is used to augment the four fighting styles of shinigami. What I'm doing here is just using the energy created to augment the power of my sword."

"What's its name?"

"It has none. 'A technique must be perfected before it deserves to be named'. I doubt even you'd be able to with stand this." I flicked the blade, causing a long mark to appear along the floor.

"I regret what I must do here." The remainder of the energy moved to my legs, ready to use an enhanced shunpo, but we were interrupted.

"This reiatsu-!" I turned back, seeing a figure step down the stairs. "Renji-kun!"

Renji walked down the stairway, eyes locked on Kurosaki.

"You." The orange-head ryoka said accusingly, turning away from our fight.

The reiatsu I gathered in my blade flared angrily, but I ignored it. "Why are you here, Renji-kun?"

He walked past me, not looking at me when he spoke. "Sorry, Kiyashi. Could you… give this fight to me?"

My eyes widened, but I remembered the report on his first battle, where he was almost killed were it not for the intervention of his captain. "You… sure, Renji-kun? He's very strong."

Renji nodded. "Yeah. I wanna get back at him for what he did to me in the living world, but more importantly, what trouble he caused for Rukia. I want to fight him."

I flicked the blade, causing the reiatsu to disperse. It resulted in a release of energy that made a strong gust. "Be careful. He's not the gentlest sort. He might kill you."

"Don't worry," the redhead replied. "I never lose to the same enemy twice. Just get going."

I sheathed the blade, drawing a protest from Kurosaki. "Hey, what're you doing? Finish the fight!"

I ignored him, and flash stepped away while listening to the shouts from the ryoka.

"So, we meet again, Ichigo Kurosaki. Do you still remember my face?"

Xxx0o0xxX

"_You're too slow. With that speed, you'll never catch up to me in the midst of all these trees."_

"_Shaddap! I ain't trained to kill people when they don't know it and run away afterwards! I've been trained to kick their asses head on!"_

"_You still won't be able to catch up."_

"_Grr… Howl! Zabimaru!"_

"_Hey, that's cheating! You're not supposed to cut the trees down!"_

"_It ain't cheatin'. You never said anythin' about not cuttin' the trees down."_

"_This is __**Aizen-taichou's **__forest!"_

"_Oh… yeah. I'll try to restrain myself. Why don't ya just stop runnin' around and lemme see how much better yer zanjutsu's gotten?"_

"_Why not. You gonna use your Shikai?"_

"_Hell yeah. I hate to say it, but I don't stand a chance against ya without it."_

"_I'll take that as a compliment. Let's go!"_

Xxx0o0xxX

_Renji's strong._ I thought to myself. _He's a vice-captain now, and he's five times stronger than when he was in the real world with his __Gentei Reiin. He'll be fine._

But no matter how much I tried to convince myself that there was no way the ryoka could beat Renji, but I kept thinking back, on the sheer power, reaction, and immense reiatsu. He was clearly my level at least, having forced me to take the most desperate measures.

"Rukia-san's going to be executed. If Renji-kun also dies… what am I going to do?"

I was lost in thought, and almost crashed while stepping from wall to wall with shunpo.

_Don't die, Renji. Don't you dare die!_

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Not my best chapter. I'm still playing around with what to write next. I have a whole mountain of ideas for the future, but I absolutely _hate_ rushing stuff. I have to get through this arc and make it interesting.

Feel free to say what you want about this chapter. I'll most likely agree with any criticism. *sigh* and I was doing so well past 5 chapters too…

Please Read and Review.

Gentei Reiin (限定霊印) Reiatsu-limit seal – Put on Captains and Vice-Captains when they go to the living world. Limits them to 20% of their usual power.


	19. Chapter 17

AN: Hi guys, I know it's been a while. I couldn't write this chapter at first, and then it went through a couple of rewrites. And I also started another fic. 'Panther King, Shark Queen' a GrimmjowxHarribel romance fic. It's rated M for later chapters, though the content right now is only T rated.

As for the comments of Kiyashi vs Ichigo, a lot of people asked why my OC didn't do anything but try and have a sword fight. Maybe I was too vague in the last chapter, but the point was, he was holding back. A lot. In fact, he didn't even come close to using full power until he realized they were both going to die. Plus I think Ganju's surprise attack made an impression. A small impression.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its contents.

Xxx0o0xxX

Blood dripped from my arm and cheek as I jumped from wall to wall. Despite the great distance I put behind me, the weight of Renji's flaring reiatsu did not decrease.

_Renji… don't die…_

A large shadow, stretched by the light of the sun, forced my instincts to stop my feet. I looked up, at the source of that uncontrolled reiatsu.

"Zaraki…taichou…" The tall and macabre captain of the 11th Division stopped me in my tracks, the feeling of killing intent greater than his already immense reiatsu.

The captain grinned. "Yo." His uncovered eye looked down at my wounds. "Been fighting? That's not good, gettin' in a fight without me."

Before I could respond, Zaraki-taichou had sat down on the rooftop of the house he stood on. "That reiatsu… I don't recognize the first one, but the other's Abarai, ain't it?"

I wiped my sweat and blood carefully. "Yes… Renji-kun's fighting the ryoka." I was actually surprised that the captain had decided not to go further.

"Such a pain," he said, more to himself, scratching his back. "I'd go further, but if Abarai got there before me, I ain't rude enough to interfere in his fight." The bells on the tips of his hair rang softly as he turned to look at me again. "He's strong, isn't he?"

I nodded absently, my attention still at the fight.

A sound of shunpo whistled in the air, and the small form of Yachiru Kusajishi appeared before me. "Hey, Ken-chan!" she looked around. "Oh, Glasses-kun's here as well?"

The way Zaraki-taichou's shoulders moved made it clear that he was a little annoyed. "What the hell're you doin' here, Yachiru? I thought I told you to go back to the division."

The 11th Squad's Vice-Captain nibbled her finger. "Mmm… I was going to stay, but I was bored so I looked around for you!"

"Che, you're bored? Isn't there anything to do at the barracks? How're Ikkaku and Yumichika?"

Yachiru hopped closer to her captain. "Baldy's still sleeping and Yun-Yun's too busy crying over his hair. Did you know, Ken-chan? Yun-Yun lost his fight against the ryoka and his hair ended up like a huge popcorn!"

I turned away, preparing to leave the captain and his subordinate to talk. "Hold it."

Reluctantly I obeyed Zaraki-taichou and stopped. "Stop by my division sometime, Kumo," he said. "You used that weird reiatsu technique, didn't you? I can tell from your sword. When this ryoka mess is over, I wanna try fighting against it."

My mouth was about to speak out of my control and give a firm "No," but instead I went with, "Uh… sure," to avoid getting the captain annoyed. "If there's nothing else…"

Without ending my sentence or waiting for him to start his, I quickly flash stepped off, and to my relief, Zaraki-taichou didn't seem to care.

Xxx0o0xxX

I was on my way back to the 2nd Division's quarters, but it seemed everyone wanted to hear about my encounter with the ryoka.

At least, the 10th wanted to. Before I was able to enter the building, a deep voice called out to me.

"Wait, Kumo." The 10th Division Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya, was standing behind me. I was only able to sense his reiatsu an instant before he spoke.

I didn't turn. It was obvious what he wanted to ask me. "Is there a problem, Hitsugaya-taichou?"

There was a long delay, and it seemed as though he was trying to think of what to ask. "Have you seen Matsumoto?"

I turned, looking directly at dark aqua eyes. "She was visiting Hinamori-chan. I don't know where she might be now."

Hitsugaya-taichou closed his eyes. "You're wounded. Did you fight one of the ryoka?"

"Hai…" I looked away, and saw my own captain making her way towards us.

Soifon looked at me with her usual hard eyes. "Did you lose? It seems the ryoka is strong, being able to cover you with so many cuts."

"Not exactly…" I drew my sword, causing Hitsugaya-taichou to take a step back instinctively. "I was about to use that technique, but Renji-kun interrupted."

The captain touched Kurokage, and I knew she could feel the traces of reiatsu still on its edge. "Fool. You would have destroyed everything around, including yourself."

I nodded, looking down at her. "I understand. My deepest apologies."

She almost seemed to smirk. "What are you talking about? I wasn't asking for an apology. Did I not say it as though I were concerned about my subordinate?"

Hitsugaya-taichou cleared his throat, an indication that he was still there. "Ahem. My apologies, can I borrow Kumo from you for a moment, Soifon-taichou?"

Soifon let go of my blade. "Feel free. Don't take too long."

The 10th Division Captain nodded, pulling me to behind the division.

"What do you want to speak to me about, Hitsugaya-taichou?" I asked.

The expression in his eyes showed a fierce fire. "You have fought against two ryoka. What have you learned from them?"

I bit my lip, wondering how much of the truth to give away. "Only that they have invaded the Seireitei to rescue Rukia Kuchiki."

Hitsugaya grabbed onto my kimono, not aggressively, but rather to speak to me more quietly. "I'm going to tell you something. Something that I heard from…"

Xxx0o0xxX

"_Quite convenient, isn't it? For the alarm to go off like that."_

_He grinned. "I don't think I und'rstand… what yer tryin' to imply."_

_Aizen frowned. "Do you think you can be let off with that excuse?"_

_A moment of silence._

"_Remember this; don't underestimate me."_

_Ichimaru's grin widened, looking more sinister._

Xxx0o0xxX

"…and then Aizen died. Don't you think it's suspicious?"

My eyes widened, understanding what Hitsugaya-taichou was trying to say. "But… if you think that… why did you order Kira and Hinamori's imprisonment?"

The captain scowled. "I have to keep to the laws of the Soul Society. The attempted assault of a captain, as well as the release of zanpakutō amongst seated officers, is against those laws. I had no choice. Imprisonment was the most lenient punishment possible."

"Even so… without proper evidence…" I began, but he cut me off.

"That's why I'm trying to look for evidence. Why do you think I asked you about Matsumoto? I've noticed her become much less childish than usual. She's concerned about Ichimaru."

I examined the emotion in Hitsugaya-taichou's eyes more carefully. "They why don't you ask Rangiku-san directly?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't get a proper answer. Matsumoto might be more mature in her way of thinking than Hinamori, but if it concerns her best friend…" he released his grip on my clothing. "It's easier to turn a blind eye."

The small captain turned around and began to walk away. "Watch out for Ichimaru. And… keep a close eye on Kira, too."

Xxx0o0xxX

The lights were dimmer inside the squad building. There seemed to be a slight haze in the area, something different from smoke.

It was so strange and dense that I became groggy. My reaction was so slow I did not notice Soifon-taichou behind me.

"Kiyashi," she commanded, making me flinch at first. The dense haze seemed to have actually been her reiatsu, judging from the more sleepy feeling I got from her getting closer.

I suppressed my exhaustion and my desire to yawn. "What is it… Captain?"

When I turned, her back was to me, and she was walking away. "Follow me. We're going to the old Onmitsukidō training field."

Xxx0o0xxX

"So, you've advanced the technique to another stage," she looked at my zanpakutō. "I never thought of actually imbuing the energy into a sword rather than your body."

Soifon pulled off her haori, charging up reiatsu and releasing it, firing it out as an extremely wide blast, destroying everything within about twenty meters long and ten meters wide.

"Your turn, Kumo. I want to see how much power the version you developed has." She jumped out of the way, watching as the earth beneath my feet gave way from the reiatsu.

This time, the concentration of my control surprised me. Instead of a wide, unstable gathering of energy like what I had when I fought Kurosaki, this time the energy was spinning around the edge of the blade, controlled, like a razor.

I wasn't sure what my sudden control over the technique was. All I knew was that whenever this technique was used, my reiatsu would fluctuate like that ryoka's, except at a far lesser output. This time, though, I felt a greater grasp over it.

Turning, I released the attack before I lost control over it again. The result was a large slash not as broad as Soifon-taichou's attack, but instead travelled a lot farther and made a clean cut through a long row of trees.

That was one thing I didn't expect.

Xxx0o0xxX

Soifon watched in awe as her student released the surprising slash, cleanly slicing through all the trees as if they weren't there.

_This boy has strength… perhaps greater than I did at his stage. He'd surpass me…_

And there seemed to have been another feeling she had when she watched him.

Xxx0o0xxX

The result of the huge assault tired me greatly, not unlike the first time I accidentally used Kurokage's Gyakuryū. I fell to my knees, my black scarf dropped from my neck, only what endurance I had left being able to keep me conscious.

The sound of shunpo passed my ears as my captain appeared next to me. "You did well."

Perhaps it was the wind, but a soft and gently feeling crossed the back of my neck, a sense of touch I did not recognize. It felt like a…

"We're going back."

Xxx0o0xxX

Bad news always seemed to surface the day after.

"What… did you say?" the messenger kneeled before me, a letter clenched tightly in his left hand.

"Hai. The battle between the 6th Division's Abarai-fukutaichou and the ryoka, Ichigo Kurosaki, ended after sunset yesterday. Abarai-fukutaichou was found nearly fatally wounded on the ground, and the ryoka were nowhere to be seen."

I slammed my fist onto the desk, injuring my still strained hand. "Renji-kun… was defeated?" Wait… "Fatally wounded? He isn't dead yet?"

The messenger shook his head. "The wounds on Abarai-fukutaichou's body were to be fatal, but the 4th Division have treated him and he is now in a stabilized state."

I released my breath. Even though he was defeated, he was still alive, and that was what mattered the most.

Picking up Kurokage and tying it to my waist, I walked past the Riteitai messenger.

"Where are you going, Kumo-sanseki?"

I looked back, only turning my head a little. "Where do you think? I'm going to see Renji-kun."

Without another word, I stepped out of the office.

Xxx0o0xxX

First obvious hints of OCxSoifon in this chapter. Anyway, Kumo's proficiency in Shunko's improved, and he's learned how to release it in a Getsuga Tensho style.

It'll be a while before I can finish this arc. Maybe another 3 or 4 chapters. Next arc has a completely different name, but is mostly an extension of the Ancient Arrancar arc.

Next arc: The Lost Seven arc.


	20. Chapter 18

AN: Managing two fanfics at the same time is painful work. It's becoming harder for me to write. There's a lot of content I want to get to, but I have to work through the stuff beforehand.

I'll get to it eventually though. Like I said, I'll be having one non-canon arc after this, taking place in Soul Society.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach!

Xxx0o0xxX

Renji was lying on the floor covered with bandages, looking as though he was in more pain than ever before.

"We found him just like this," Ayame told me. We could hear his deep breaths, as if he were desperately fighting for air.

I clenched my fist. "I should've stayed…" The bandages covering my hand loosened, sending a sharp sting of pain up my arm.

"Don't," my sister grabbed onto my injured hand. "Renji's pride would have never allowed it. He really wanted to punish the ryoka, for what he did to him, and Kuchiki-taichou's sister."

I pulled off my glasses to wipe a tear from my eyes. "I know,"

Ayame put down Sōsen. Her hands reached to a part of Renji's bandages that was soaked in blood. "I'm going to ease his pain, and then I'll call the 4th…"

"There is no need."

The cool, hard voice sent a shiver down my spine. Captain Kuchiki's slate grey eyes looked mercilessly at his own vice-captain.

"Captain…" Ayame whispered, "What… did you just say?"

He showed no emotion, even as he looked at the wounded man on the floor. "I told you, there is no need to heal him. Have him put in prison, 5th Seat."

I was stunned. He was throwing his own vice-captain in prison, even though he had almost died trying to do his duty. "What are you saying, Kuchiki-taichou?"

"There is no excuse," his eyes moved back to Renji, "For his actions. It is unacceptable to fight alone and lose in battle. I do not want a fool who fails to understand even this. He's just getting in the way."

The captain prepared to leave. "I will say it once more. Put Abarai in the 6th Division cells."

A part of my instinct strongly wished to strike at the cruel man, but I suppressed it, partially from the look my sister shot me. "Forgive my rudeness, Kuchiki-taichou."

He ignored me, already walking out of sight.

The chilling aura did not fade even after the captain left. "What should we do, neesan?"

She sighed, still replacing the blood-soaked bandages. "There's no other way. I'll have to put Renji into the holding cell. I only hope that he's strong enough to survive."

I nodded, closing my eyes, trying to clear my head of all these confusing events taking place. "He's Renji-kun. I know he will."

Ayame picked up Sōsen again, turning to leave. "Let's leave him to recuperate a little longer. He wouldn't get far with wounds like that anyway."

She stopped when she noticed I wasn't leaving. "Is something wrong, Kiyashi?"

"I'm… going to stay a little longer." I responded, sitting back down to watch Renji struggle for life.

"What about your squad? Isn't there anything you have to do?" she asked me.

I shook my head. "No, my captain is…" I faltered.

Ayame took another step to leave the room. "It's fine. Stay for as long as you like."

The only sound left was the slight dripping of rain outside.

_Why is all this happening?_ My hands tightened on my hakama. _How's it possible that Rukia-san's execution could cause all this? Is there something…_

My thoughts strayed back to Hitsugaya-taichou's warning. "_Keep an eye on Ichimaru. And… Kira as well._"

A familiar coolness interrupted my train of thought. I didn't need to focus to tell it was reiatsu. "How long were you there… Hitsugaya-taichou?"

My guess was correct. The slight sliver of reiatsu grew to becoming easily recognizable. "Abarai sure got torn up bad."

"Physical wounds? Or…" I looked away from Renji and paid attention to the captain instead.

Hitsugaya-taichou shrugged. "Both, most likely. But that's not why I'm here."

"What are you…" the white-haired captain kneeled slightly to speak privately, as if not wanting anyone else to hear.

"Ichimaru was here. He seemed almost happy to see Abarai's mutilated body on the ground. Something's not right."

My eyes widened. I had not noticed the 3rd Squad's captain at all while spending time in the room. "Why would he…"

Hitsugaya's fierce teal eyes got closer. "He's _definitely_ up to something. There's something else…" He looked around. "Kira and Hinamori… both broke out of prison."

The surprise hit me hard. "What?"

The 10th Squad's captain moved back, putting some distance between us. "The way things are going now… the streets of the Seireitei will be very dangerous. Stay alert, Kumo."

I understood what he was going to do. "Are you going to look for Ichimaru-taichou?"

He answered my question not with words, but a quick shunpo that echoed through the room sharply.

Xxx0o0xxX

"_I thought I'd find the two of you together."_

"_Hitsugaya-taichou…"_

…

"_I'm glad I got here before Hinamori. I'll kill you before she get's here!"_

…

"_I… finally found you."_

"_Don't, Hinamori! You're no match for him! Leave it to-"_

…

"_Aizen-taichou's… murderer."_

"_What?"_

"_I know everything now… from this letter the captain left me."_

…

"'_The name of the person plotting all of this is… Toshiro Hitsugaya.'"_

…

"_I… don't know what to do anymore… Shiro-chan…"_

…

"_My, my. That was really mean, 10__th__ Squad Captain-san. Ya didn't hafta hit a girl who was hurting herself so bad anyway."_

"_Aizen wasn't enough for you… Ichimaru?"_

…

"_I warned you… if you ever made Hinamori bleed, I'll kill you!"_

"_That ain't good. If yer gonna draw yer sword here… I'll just have ta stop you, won't I?"_

…

"_Get back, Izuru."_

"_Getting back isn't good enough. Disappear, Kira!"_

…

"_So yer serious after all, now."_

…

"_Sit upon the frozen heavens, HYORINMARU!"_

Xxx0o0xxX

The intensity of the blasts of reiatsu was enough to stop me cold in my tracks even many kilometers away.

"Ichimaru-taichou… and Hitsugaya-taichou… are they fighting?" As I watched from a distance, the rain began to turn cold, and the clouds overhead stained black.

"This is…!" The reiatsu was unmistakable. Hitsugaya-taichou had released his zanpakutō, Hyorinmaru.

_This is bad…_ I leaped up to a wall, jumping over all the pathways, trying to make my way to the battle while ignoring the bitter cold.

All the while, the chilling bite of the air stung painfully on my skin.

Xxx0o0xxX

Kira was afraid.

He didn't remember the last time he was as afraid as this. Possibly the incident in the academy, when they were attacked by Huge Hollows, but now… that time didn't even compare.

Hyorinmaru was more mystical and frightening than how he imagined it. The sheer power of it was manipulating the weather, making the air comparable to the harshest of winters.

This time, Kira was almost sure he was going to **die**.

He wasn't sure what kept him on his feet, watching in fear as even his own captain was overwhelmed by the force of ice and deathly cold water.

His mind was urging him to run, but his feet wouldn't move. He was afraid, for himself, and for his captain.

Kira knew he should have done something, but even as he tried to draw his sword, he felt as though his hands were frozen solid.

An accusing voice brought more shock and fear, forcing him to pull his zanpakutō from its sheath to meet the newcomer.

"I knew you were here, Kira."

Xxx0o0xxX

Kurokage's blade pointed directly at the 3rd Squad vice-captain, frost already beginning to cover the blade. "Kira, how could you…"

There was still fear in my old friend's eyes, but there was also an unbreakable sense of loyalty behind it. "I… must believe in my captain."

"That's not enough for an answer!" I shouted at him. "Can't you tell, what kind of a person Ichimaru is?"

Kira's fear seemed to drain from him the more we spoke. "I know that. But… I have a duty. As Ichimaru-taichou's subordinate, I must believe in him!"

I gritted my teeth, furious at his stubbornness. "But…"

"Enough," Kira said. "He is my captain. Hitsugaya-taichou… Abarai-kun… Hinamori-kun… even Matsumoto-san… none of them seem to trust Ichimaru-taichou anymore, but as his vice-captain, I must, no matter what!"

I sighed. "Then we have nothing more to say. This isn't like you, Kira. I don't know you anymore."

He ignored my comment. "My captain's fighting his battle. I must fight mine." Kira took his stance. "Raise your head… Wabisuke."

The ominous reiatsu gathered as the blade of Kira's zanpakutō twisted and bent into a square hook.

"Wabisuke," I said, looking at his Shikai. "It's been a while since I saw it."

Kira swung the blade down once, and went back to his previous stance. "Then let me refresh your memory, Kumo-kun."

He swung his blade, narrowly missing. Even though it was a long time since I saw Kira's Wabisuke in battle, the simplicity of its power was impossible to forget.

For a weapon like his, it was important to never even touch it.

"You seem to remember," Kira commented, "The power of my Wabisuke."

I held Kurokage with both hands. "Doubling the weight of whatever it even barely scrapes indefinitely, limiting the opponent's ways to maneuver."

Kira nodded, but without responding, continued to release a relentless assault of slashes against me.

_Can't block… must dodge… don't block… dodge…_ My mind kept repeating the same words over and over, but Kira's strikes got faster and better aimed, until I had no choice but to defend against a blow to the face with Kurokage.

The weight of my blade doubled, and it was the suddenness that caused me to almost drop it. "Damn it…"

_If it hits me again, I'm done for. My only chance is…_

I raised a hand. "Hado No. 33, Sokatsui!"

The burst of pale flames missed, but gave me time to initiate a continuous pattern of shunpo movements.

"You gave me too much time," I warned him. _I can control that technique better now, and hopefully I'll be able to release an attack that doesn't require too much reiatsu…_

I held Kurokage tighter, allowing my energy to flow through it and spin like a razor. "Sorry, Kira… but if you're so intent on following Ichimaru, I have no choice… but to kill you!"

Kira's eyes widened as I swung my blade down, sending a sharp arc of concentrated reiatsu at him.

The flying tail of an ice dragon got to him first.

I felt a blazing stab of ice assault my body, and though squinting eyes I saw both Kira and I being thrown by the claws of Hyorinmaru.

It was actually less painful when we finally hit the ground. The smoke caused by rubble and debris cleared, and on the rooftop above was Ichimaru, his arm frozen, a chain wrapped around it.

"It's over, Ichimaru." Hitsugaya-taichou said coldly, giving the chain a slight tug.

The silver-haired captain's back was turned, but when he finally turned to look at his opponent, the look of anger on his face, as rare as it was, was frightening to look at.

"Captain!" Kira shouted, fearful for his captain's life.

The red eyes seemed to blaze aflame for a moment. "_Shoot to kill, Shinso._"

The blade extended, stabbing through his haori, aimed for Hitsugaya-taichou's head. Although it was fast, the captain had enough time to bend back and block the stab with Hyorinmaru.

"Sure you wanna dodge that?" Ichimaru asked.

I wondered what he was meaning, but turning to see an unconscious Hinamori on the ground, hand bleeding, a fast blade shooting towards her…

"That girl's gonna die."

But the blade did not impale flesh, but instead struck right into another zanpakutō.

"Rangiku…san…" Even with my glasses askew, lenses half-frozen, I could see who it was that defended against the strike.

The chilling ice that still froze half my body began to spread the deathly feeling over the rest of my body.

I painfully fell into a slow coma.

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Something about this chapter really annoyed me… I dunno what. Damn, I made Kira really out of character. I'm so sorry. That short fight kind of doesn't make sense, but I wanted to put it in.

I know I really messed up the timeline as well, but now I can't fix it, and every time I try, it just gets worse.

Please review.


	21. Chapter 19

AN: Hi guys. It's been a while since my latest update. This chapter took a while to think up, but I did it eventually.

By the way, for those who've seen the latest Bleach manga chapter, it was really epic. I hate Aizen's look, but Ichigo looks awesome. I felt kind of sad when Ichigo said… that thing about his powers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Xxx0o0xxX

_So cold._

_My body's still cold. Numb, searing from the bite of the ice._

_It hurts. It hurts like hell._

_How long have I been sleeping?_

My head hurt more than any other part of my body. Not a sharp pain like a headache, but rather as if there was someone grabbing my head with a strong hand.

The bed I lay on was bad quality, and the room was far too dark to be the treatment room. The only light was from a flickering candle at the side.

"This is… Inuzuri?" The rundown house was unmistakably the one that I had lived in before leaving for the Seireitei. Approaching the candle, I realized that the grey flame was not a trick from the distance.

I looked closer to the candle. "It lacks color," I said to myself. "That's right… this is my inner world."

A breeze whistled in through the door, the wind carrying a bundle of rags.

The black cloth began to twitch, and rose into a familiar figure. "Kurokage…" my voice called out to the zanpakutō instinctively.

Strangely, the robe's back was turned to me. "_You know our name this time?_" It asked with its two opposite voices, almost mockingly. "_You have grown,_" Within an instant, the distance between us was closed. "_And learned._"

I took a step back, uncomfortable with looking into the black void under the hood. "It's been ages since I've been here. And that was when…"

"_The battle against Arturo Plateado,_" Kurokage finished my sentence. "_When you learned our name._"

"That's right," I rubbed my head, still aching. "Why… has it been so long? I've called you, known you were there, but you haven't responded. Why haven't you called back to me?"

The ragged cloak-figure began to hover away, keeping a distance again. "_You… haven't understood yet. We have been waiting. We wait for the time you find the strength to learn more. About us, our power._"

I watched the ends of Kurokage's rags move. "What do you mean?"

"_It's a pity. We have been returning your call, but it's your own mind that repels us, blurring our words, just like how we first tried to give you our name._"

"What-" My words were cut off by the feeling of the black cloth brushing against my chest.

"_Want us to tell you what we mean? It is your __**hesitation**__. We ask you this, Kiyashi. Are your thoughts clear on your path?_"

I blinked, surprised at being asked such a strange question. "Of… of course!"

Kurokage turned away, as if ashamed to face me. As it began to leave the house, I followed. "_You deceive yourself._" Before I could respond, it spoke again. "_Watch. This is your hesitation._"

I stopped, shocked as my surroundings began to distort, as if everything was an illusion. _No, not an illusion…_ I corrected myself as I felt the ground beneath me seemingly move slowly. "What is this?"

Kurokage turned its hood. "_I told you once, no one knows you better than we. We said this is your hesitation. Everything in this world is formed by your mind and heart. If you are sad, this world will darken. If your mind is hesitant, this world distorts._"

I lost my balance, falling to my knees with my head spinning from the distortion. "How… is this possible? I do not even know what _I_ am uncertain of."

"_There are two paths before you,_" the apparition began to turn around. "_The path that looks right, and the path that is right. That is the reason for your uncertainty._"

"Two… paths?" I looked desperately at the zanpakutō, needing the answer. "Are you saying the path that I walk right now is wrong?"

Despite only being a mass of cloth, Kurokage seemed to look at me. "_Perhaps. The path that is right is difficult to walk, because it is always covered with the façade of being wrong. With the true path, you will not realize the truth until the end. But if you walk the false path, you are only deceiving yourself._" A sleeve waved up slowly, gesturing at this world. "_And this world is a reflection of you… being caught in between these two paradoxes._"

The words rang deep in my head. "I am deceiving myself? Does that mean that I know this path is wrong?"

"_Do you?_" Even as he spoke, the hem of his robe began to dissolve. "_We will wait until you finally make the decision. For both our sakes, we hope you make the correct one. It is only then that you will possess the strength and determination to learn…_"

The final parts of Kurokage disappeared before the final words came out, and as the pain in my head grew unbearable, this shadow of Inuzuri… shattered.

Xxx0o0xxX

My awakening was abrupt. The headache I felt seemed to have vanished, my body no longer cold.

"What…" From the looks of the room, it was not the 2nd Division. "The daffodil emblem on the wall… the 10th Division?"

I couldn't remember what I was doing here, but the events of the battle last night made the reason clear. _That's right… I was fighting Kira and then…_

The door was open. Someone had left the room without closing the door. I picked Kurokage off the floor and made my way to leave the 10th Division building.

In the end, I couldn't take a step away from the recovery room before I was stopped.

"Going to leave without leaving a word, Kumo?" the cold voice of the 10th Squad Captain froze me in my steps.

I decided not to turn around to look at him. "I didn't want to disturb your duties."

Hitsugaya-taichou stepped forwards and grabbed my wrist. "I was just going to apologize for almost killing you yesterday."

"You don't have to apologize," I told him. "You couldn't have known… and Ichimaru would have killed you if you held back." Finally, I faced the captain. "What happened… after I passed out?"

The captain sighed. "Ichimaru almost killed Hinamori. Matsumoto stopped him."

It was a surprise. "Rangiku-san… she stopped…"

"I don't know why. With Ichimaru's strength, it was an easy thing to just kill the both of them. But he stopped his attack, and left."

I looked down. "Do you think he still cares for…"

Hitsugaya shrugged. "It doesn't matter. More importantly, I took this letter back from Hinamori. It would have been dangerous if anyone else found it."

Reaching out to take the letter, I unfolded the paper. "This…" my eyes widened. "Hitsugaya-taichou… you…"

The captain's eyes- if possible- grew more intense. "That letter… I am almost certain that someone modified it. But how much of it is a lie… and which parts…"

"Could the… could the part about the Sokyoku be true?"

The hand grabbing my wrist tightened. "If it is, we must stop this execution… the execution of Rukia Kuchiki… at all costs."

He let go of my arm, turning to leave.

Kurokage's words returned. _The path that seems right… the path that is right…_

Xxx0o0xxX

Before I left, I had decided to visit Rangiku-san. It was a while since we had talked to each other properly, and Ayame was there as well.

To my surprise, the vice-captain was not drinking and getting wasted by the table, but was rather sitting in melancholy, watching the sky through the window.

"Rangiku-san?" I asked, afraid to disturb her.

Whatever she was thinking, my intrusion had interrupted it. "Kiyashi? You've woken up at last. Take a seat."

I sat down opposite her, following her icy blue eyes as they went back to looking out the window. "Wait… what do you mean by 'at last'? How long have I been sleeping?"

Rangiku seemed reluctant to tell me. "Three days."

My eyes widened, and I felt my hand begin to shiver uncontrollably. "Three… days? What's happened with the ryoka incident?"

She sighed, pulling out a small jug of sake from under the table and absently pouring it in two cups. "It's a big mess. Yesterday, Zaraki-taichou was defeated by the ryoka, and they're advancing closer to the Senzaikyuu."

"Zaraki-taichou… defeated?" I took the sake cup and drank it in one gulp. "I saw him, after I got away from the ryoka before. I didn't think… a person like him…"

Rangiku drank her sake, her cheeks instantly flushing pink. "Who would've thought that an execution could cause all this?"

I had to approach the topic carefully. "Rangiku-san… do you still trust in Ichimaru-taichou?" At seeing her expression drop even more, I tried to take back my question. "I mean… never mind."

Rangiku put down the cup. "I wonder. Sometimes I can't tell whether he's still Gin. But his bad habit of disappearing without saying anything to me… still hasn't changed."

"Rangiku-san…"

The silence was cut by the footsteps of several shinigami who entered our room. "Matsumoto-fukutaichou! New information on the ryoka have been found!"

"What is it?"

The messengers kneeled. "Hai! The ryoka, Ichigo Kurosaki, after his battle against the 11th Division's Zaraki-taichou, has completely disappeared, but the other two ryoka have entered the Senzaikyuu!"

Rangiku was about to talk back, but was stopped when I immediately took my zanpakutō and flash stepped away. Her voice was fading as I left.

"Wait, Kiyashi!"

Xxx0o0xxX

The Senzaikyuu, near the Sokyoku Hill, was a long distance away from the 10th Division building, and it was a long time before I even made it to the stairway.

The craters and damaged ground from Kurosaki's battle against me and Renji were still there, but I ran past all of them without stopping.

But on my first step on the stairs, the sudden spike of strong reiatsu gave me pause.

"Kuchiki-taichou…" the reiatsu was unmistakable. I stopped to look at the 6th Division's captain.

His grey eyes were as impassive as ever. "Where are you going, Kumo-sanseki?"

I swallowed slightly. No matter how many times I saw the captain, it was always unnerving just being in his presence. "I'm going to the Senzaikyuu to stop the ryoka."

Kuchiki-taichou's eyes narrowed slightly. "There is no need."

My shocked expression did not change his. "But, Kuchiki-taichou-"

"I said there is no need," he replied. "I will go." The sound of shunpo was the only warning before he stood next to me, shoulder to shoulder. "Return to your division at once."

When I tried to turn my head, he was already gone. _Did he suspect me? Did he think I was planning to help the ryoka rather than stop them?_

The real question was whether I knew whether I wanted to stop the ryoka, or help them save Rukia-san. It was a painful feeling, now that even I knew hesitation was in my heart.

_Rukia-san… what should I do?_

Xxx0o0xxX

The latest report had been sent in the afternoon. Two of the three remaining ryoka were defeated and taken into custody by Kuchiki-taichou. The entire invasion was almost over.

Alone, I sat in the office, the moonlight shining through the window, past the night sky.

_What should I do?_ I asked myself. _I want to help… I want to help save Rukia-san… but I would betray everyone… Renji-kun… Kira-kun… Hinamori-chan… Rangiku-san… Hitsugaya-taichou… neesan…_

The next thought stuck in my head. _Soifon-taichou…_

My feelings towards my own captain were uncertain. I've served under her for a long time, and she… I could believe that we shared a close bond that she had never had before. _What could I call a feeling like that? Admiration? Friendship? Love? Love…_

I shook my head. _I'm being so naïve… it couldn't be…_

_Feelings…_

There was no helping going back to the words Kurokage said. Cryptic as they were, it was still enough to shatter all the illusions I had of my path.

_The path that is right…_

Clenching my teeth, and continuously screaming my regret in my mind, I grabbed my zanpakutō and jumped out the window.

Xxx0o0xxX

"Where are you going… Kiyashi?"

I wasn't surprised that Soifon-taichou, of all people, would foil my pathetic attempt at sneaking out of the division.

"I'm going to the Senzaikyuu." I told her, ashamed, unable to face her. I knew how she was looking at me.

Three footsteps were heard, threatening me, almost daring me to go. "You will not. The Senzaikyuu is a sacred place. Someone like you could never go there."

I took one step. "I know that. But I must go."

"You disgrace yourself. Have you forgotten your duty already?"

My hand gripped tightly at my obi. "My duty to the Soul Society… the Gotei 13… the Onmitsukidō… is it really the right path?"

Soifon-taichou sounded fiercer, more demanding. "Kiyashi. You have no right to speak of what the 'right path' is. Regardless, a subordinate of mine will never walk out of this place, whether by their will or not."

At that moment, I knew I was going to _die_. "Forgive me…" My hand reached up, tearing off the Onmitsukidō badge and throwing it to the captain's feet. "Soifon-taichou."

Her hand grabbed my shoulder roughly, preventing me from leaving. As she forced me to turn, I waited for my death.

My eyes closed, I was struck with shock as her lips closed on mine, kissing me softly. This was the least expected thing I could have ever expected.

"S-Soifon-tai…" I could not speak, only stand in shocked silence. As her lips touched mine, I lowered my guard.

Biggest mistake I ever made.

The kiss ended abruptly, sharply, and the aura changed instantly. Dark reiatsu danced around her like leaves. I heard only one word. "Hakufuku."

My consciousness slipped, dropping me to the floor.

_Damn it…_

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: I wasn't going to make Soifon kiss my OC at first, but I really couldn't think of a better scenario for that part. It was partially a trick to get him to lower his guard. Actually, I thought that suited Soifon, since she'd probably do almost anything to do her job.

I am really, I mean really, sorry about how I'm hurrying this arc. Writing canon is boring as hell, and I'm still practicing on how to write well.

Please overlook any parts of Kurokage talking if I typed 'I' instead of 'we'. Continuously typing in plural format is difficult.

Please Review!


	22. Chapter 20

AN: Hi, I'm back. I bumped into a roadblock while writing this chapter, and school's become a real pain, so it took a while to finish off. Anyway, it's here now, and I hope I'll have time to update more frequently. The last chapter kind of annoyed me. I just didn't feel the flow of the story like I did with the other ones. Because of that the timeline has passed extremely quickly. I think I'll be very happy once I can get to non-canon stuff. VERY happy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Xxx0o0xxX

The effects of Hakufuku began to fade after the passing of a night.

It was obvious where I was, even if I didn't recognize the surroundings. It was the 2nd Division holding cells.

These particular holding cells were the least used out of all the Gotei 13, not counting the non-existent cells in the 12th Division. As all prisoners there went directly into experimentation, there was no need for cells.

It was a similar case here. Usually, traitors of the shinigami were directly put to death by the Keigun. They rarely spared the lives of their prey, unless it was an extreme occasion where a simple battlefield execution would not be enough.

_Why am I not dead?_ I kept asking myself. Soifon-taichou was not known for keeping prisoners. Many cowards who tried to desert the Onmitsukidō out of fear were instantly removed. _Why am I an exception?_

_Exception…_ I was being too arrogant. When you're an assassin, part of a squad of assassins in particular, there was no such thing as exceptions. I should not be alive.

And then she… _I'm just lying to myself. It's just a trick. All a trick._

My fingernails dug into the palm of my hand, drawing blood. _She doesn't love you. It was just to lower my guard. That's all._

The blood trickled down my wrist, stopping at the shackles. Not only were they made of nearly unbreakable metal, it prevented use of reiatsu of any way.

I heard the soft footsteps of the guard entering the cell room. "Here's your meal, 3rd Seat Kumo."

"I don't want it."

"But 3rd Seat…" I cut him off, unable to control my own voice, and the anger and irritation that provoked it.

"I said I don't want it! Just get out!" My outburst frightened the shinigami, causing him to shiver and drop his cage. I looked away, hiding the angry glare in my eyes rather than wiping it off.

The next person who spoke was not the guard. "Don't be like that."

Hearing _that_ person's voice, I made even more of an effort not to turn around. "What do you want… neesan?"

I had not meant to sound so bitter. Even without looking at her face I knew that she must have been hurt. "I'm sorry."

Ayame sighed, the soft footsteps approaching the bars of the prison. "It's fine." A short pause followed. "Are you alright?"

I shrugged. "I guess." My eyes moved from up the wall, to the small window near the ceiling. "Neesan… what's happening outside?"

There was a short pause before she responded to my question. "Everyone… they're all acting recklessly like a bunch of idiots. The Captains, Vice-Captains, seated officers… in a situation like this, they're just acting the same."

"I see." I looked past the bars, looking at the half-moon behind it.

Ayame took another step closer to the cell. "Kiyashi… you know the consequences for what you did, don't you?"

It was rare that anyone ever heard my sister speak so sternly. "Hai,"

"I wish it didn't have to be like this," she said sadly, "But what you did was commit treason. The law of Soul Society is absolute, but until this incident is over, your sentence is going to be suspended."

I almost turned, but stopped as a tear ran down my face. "Neesan…"

She must have noticed. Even while I refused to look at her face it was clear to me how she felt. "I… I'll do my best to help you, but if I can't…"

"Stop it, sis," I cut into her rambling sharply, partially unaware of what I was doing. "I know what I did seems wrong, so I'm not going to act scared in front of anyone. But… I know I'm right. You can't change my mind here… neesan."

At that one moment, a black creature fluttered into the cell silently, stopping whatever retort Ayame prepared for me.

"Jigokucho…" My eyes followed the graceful patterns the butterfly trailed in before finally stopping to give its message.

"_Report to all captains, vice-captains and seated officers. There has been another change regarding the execution date of death row inmate Rukia Kuchiki. The enforcement of sentence will be twenty-four hours from now."_

In shock and without control, my body finally turned away from the wall with a violent jolt, not prepared for what was just said. "T-twenty-four…"

"_This is the __**final**__ judgment by the Central 46. There will be no further changes in date. That is all."_

No one cared to notice the butterfly leave to convey its message to the others.

"Twenty-four hours?" Ayame grabbed onto one of the bars of the cage, gripping so hard that it broke. "H... how could they allow this?"

It became difficult to breathe all of a sudden. It was almost as if the air had grown heavy along with the atmosphere. "Nee…san…"

Ayame acted like she didn't even notice me. "D…damn it! It looks like…"

I did not miss the mumbling of the last few words. "Neesan… what are you…"

One light blue eye moved to look back, showing desperation. "I'm sorry, otouto. I'm out of time. I can't stay here anymore."

She turned away and flash stepped away, ignoring my call for her to wait.

_The enforcement of sentence will be twenty-four hours from now. __**Twenty-four hours.**_

_Great._ Resignedly I dropped my chained fists to my thigh. _Things are just getting worse and I'm sitting here being useless. I'm being so pathetic._

As I lay back onto the hard stone bed, my only thoughts was that one sentence. Endlessly revolving around my mind.

Xxx0o0xxX

"Soifon-taichou! A message has arrived for you via a jigokucho!"

The 2nd Division captain nodded. "Show it to me."

The black butterfly echoed the message word by word, and left almost instantly after it finished. "Is that all?" the captain asked.

"Soifon-taichou…" the messenger began.

Soifon's emotionless face did not change. "I don't care. If it's the order of Central 46, then that's all that matters. You are dismissed."

The shinigami gulped slightly at hearing his captain's harsh tone. "H-hai, Captain."

"Wait…" Soifon stopped the messenger before he left. "How's the 3rd Seat doing?"

"Hai. 3rd Seat Kumo has not complained or objected about his incarceration, and has said little since he has awoken."

Soifon frowned. "Hmph, is that so…" She continued speaking as she turned away. "Leave him alone for now. I will personally deal with his sentence once this ryoka crisis is over. That is all."

"Hai, Captain!" the shinigami saluted, and flashed away soon afterwards.

The captain spoke quietly to herself once she was alone. "You foolish kid… have you betrayed me too?"

Xxx0o0xxX

_Falling._

_Falling into a bottomless pit of darkness. How did this happen? It's a dream._

_It's a dream. But it feels so real._

_It feels like I'm dead. Am I dead? No… I can't be._

_So why… why am I falling? Damn it… what's happening?_

I awoke slowly, the feeling of tumbling into that hole finally fading away. Before I had time to ponder the cause for that nightmare, the visage of a familiar yet frightening form distracted me instantly.

"Kurokage…" the zanpakutō, the figure wearing long black rags, looked down into my eyes. In that cowl, I couldn't see anything. There was no face hidden in that hood.

_He… it must have done it. That dream._ I immediately thought to myself. _Why?_

"It's been a long time… since your last materialization." I greeted him.

The zanpakutō spoke softly back. "_How long… are you going to make us wait?_" Kurokage drifted back ominously, near the katana on the table, its blade glowing a dark purple. "_Or… have you finally forfeited?_"

Kurokage's words sparked something in me as I made an impulsive outburst. "F...forfeited? I… I haven't given up on anything yet!"

The zanpakutō's next words were harsh, ruthless. "_Then you think that you have time to waste, lying here, useless, when the things you care for the most are threatened behind these walls. Can you not feel it, Kiyashi? You are ready. So are we. You have the power to change things, somewhere, sometime. If you give up, then the power we have given you, the guidance, it will all fade away, useless, to dust._"

I looked down to the ground, shameful at facing Kurokage. "I… I'm weak. I couldn't do anything, and I'm…"

"_You are weak now,_" the spirit interrupted, "_Or perhaps you think so. We know things, child, things that you do not know about yourself. Inside you there is the potential, the determination to get stronger. If you trust us, we will give you power, power so you can reach that point. Do you trust us?_"

The answer was obvious. "Of course I do. If there was no person in the world I could trust, I will still trust you."

"_Then you believe that somewhere in you, there is that one point that will give you the power to do what you desire to do the most. The power to protect. It is something that many wish for, but few achieve. We know you can do it. The answer may not seem clear to you now, but whether a year, ten, hundreds, thousands, it is your destiny to finally find that power. And no matter what it takes, we will forever work to help you reach your destiny. Do you understand?"_

I nodded. "I understand."

Kurokage touched my hand. "_You are strong, Kiyashi. We will wait till the day you realize the true extent of your power. You know what you must do now._"

My hands relaxed, unclenching from fists. "But my shackles…"

The zanpakutō gave a sound that may have been an amused snort. "_Do you mean __**these**__ shackles?_" To my shock, they were there in his hands, the shackles that held me and my reiatsu prisoner.

"H-how did you…"

Kurokage threw the chains aside, and tossed the sealed katana to me. "_How we accomplished such a minor feat is irrelevant. There are more important things at stake._"

Absently, I tapped my index finger against the rock. "They've made a barrier around the wall as well. This isn't something a zanpakutō or weak Kido can easily break."

"_No…_" the apparition disagreed. "_There is one thing strong enough to break it. That power is in the sword you wield. Our power._"

I drew the sword, looking at its blade. "What do you mean?"

Before I realized, within an instant, Kurokage's sleeve covered the blade of the katana. "_We shall teach you. Listen well, and be attentive, for we will not repeat ourselves. This technique is a strong offensive ability that possesses strength greater than anything you have used so far. You have already achieved the power needed to harness it through __**that**_ _ability."_

I knew what he meant. The nameless technique that Soifon-taichou and I… the two of us… using every last bit of reiatsu to master. And now…

"_Hear me._ _The power is there. All there is now is for you to learn the name. We will only say this once._"

"_The name of this technique is…_"

Xxx0o0xxX

"…and you just found it like this?"

Soifon was not having a good day. The paperwork had piled up, Omaeda disappeared the whole day, leaving his paperwork, only showing up once the captain was almost falling over, and now their top-security holding cell had a huge hole in it.

"Forgive me!" the guard apologized continuously. "My negligence gave the 3rd Seat the chance to escape from his cell! I have no excuse! Please punish me however you wish, Soifon-taichou!"

Omaeda yawned. "Yeah, yeah. But… Kumo had one o' those reiatsu sealin' binds, din't he? How could he have blasted a huge hole in the wall without reiatsu?"

The guard apologetically kneeled down. "I do not know, vice-captain! I never noticed the time Kumo-sanseki removed his reiatsu sealing shackles! But…"

The last word caused Omaeda to stop picking his nose. "Yes? _But_…?"

Soifon backhanded her vice-captain in the stomach to shut him up. "Continue with what you were saying."

"Hai. I had just entered my shift, and I saw Kumo-sanseki was still inside, standing near the wall, with his back to me. I do not know if his shackles were still on at that time. I turned away for a moment, but when I turned back, Kumo-sanseki was gone, but there was no hole!"

"Huh? What kinda bullcrap is that?" Omaeda pointed at the huge opening. "How could ya not notice such a bigass hole like that on the wall?"

The guard gulped. "Hai… I panicked, looked around for him, and the moment I looked away from the wall, the hole appeared!"

Omaeda sweatdropped. "That's even bigger crap! So yer sayin' that Kumo just took off his binds, walked outta the wall, _then_ blew a hole in it while ya weren't lookin'?"

Soifon ignored her subordinate, instead touching the area that was damaged. "Strange… it looks as if the hole wasn't made by an _explosion, _but something else. There's a residue of dark reiatsu here… definitely Kiyashi's work."

The heavy footsteps of Omaeda followed her. "So, Captain, since Kumo's run away, should I call the Patrol Corps an' catch him?"

Soifon shook her head. "No. Just send the Keigun after him. There's little he can do by himself even if he's freed."

Omaeda straightened. "Hai! I'll alert the Keigun right away, Captain!"

Xxx0o0xxX

"_The name of this technique is… Yozoratsurugi._"

Yozoratsurugi… an ability that had enough power to destroy a reiatsu reinforced wall strong enough to block even Kido. _I… I had no idea Kurokage was this strong._

Of course I didn't. There were many things I didn't know about my zanpakutō after all. I had been ignorant for a long time.

_I'll learn things about my sword… my partner, a bit at a time, to steady our trust, and our ability to work together. I promise you this, Kurokage._

I stopped. The surrounding area carried an aura of danger. But as I looked up, I was not surprised anymore to see countless Keigun looking back.

I pulled Kurokage from its sheath as I spoke. "Three Keigun squads… what an honor."

"Kumo-sanseki," a slightly better-dressed shinigami- likely their leader responded to me. It seemed clear they still held some respect for me.

"I'm surprised," Kurokage's tip left its scabbard, raised and facing the sky. "I may be outnumbered, but it's against Keigun tactic to expose yourself to the prey, much less talk to them."

The Keigun squad leader tried to plead with me, but I had no interest in anything he had to say. "We do not wish to fight you, Kumo-sanseki! Please sheathe your weapon and return with us, or you will make your sentence heavier!"

I knew they would say something like that. "Sorry. I don't want to fight you either, but I can't stand back and watch Soul Society making mistakes. If you won't let me leave peacefully, I'll have to get rid of you before I go on."

"I see," the leader nodded. "My deepest apologies! We have no choice but to apprehend you by force!"

A current of energy ran through the blade of Kurokage as I prepared. "So be it."

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Hooray, finally finished! Beginning was difficult. Can you believe, the beginning took all of the time to do, and the rest took one day? Geez. I really want to get to the next arc soon. I've even got a whole script ready! Hehe, not really, but I've already got all the ideas for the next arc, so you can count on later updates to be quick. I'm really, really sorry about the lateness.

Yozoratsurugi (夜空剣) Night Sky Blade, Empty Night Blade – Not the best translation, but I'm not Japanese and this sounded cool, so… :P. It's power will be explained sometime in the future, I'm not spoiling it now.

Please review!


	23. Chapter 21

AN: Whew! Finally got this chapter up! Sorry about the delay… again. I read the reviews on last chapter. I didn't think it was so long since I last wrote. Maybe it's just because I normally release new chapters every other day?

Anyway, I am very happy I can put an end to this manipulation of canon stuff. The next arc will be very much more interesting. I've actually got the whole thing planned from start to end. I'm sure many of you are eager to see it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything related, blah blah blah…

Xxx0o0xxX

"WHAAAAAAAT?"

The loud bellowing shook the entire 2nd Division building, and some of the surrounding area around it.

"WHAT – DID – YOU – SAY? Three Keigun squads? _Three_? All by himself? ARE – YOU – GOD – DAMN – SERIOUS?" Omaeda continued to shout out every word with as much force as possible, frightening everyone around him.

The unfortunate Riteitai messenger was trying to readjust his hat after flinching a few meters away. "Hai. The three squads sent to capture the escaped 3rd Seat were all defeated, but none were heavily injured. Kumo-sanseki was nowhere to be found and we were unable to track him."

Omaeda crossed his arms, suddenly turning calm. "Soifon-taichou ain't gonna like this. Nope. No way she'll be happy to hear this."

"Uh…" the Riteitai looked at his superior nervously. "Will you give the message to Soifon-taichou?"

The vice-captain's look of fear returned. "Huh? No way, that's just suicide! I'm not gonna go and tell her that over half the Keigun got beat up! You tell her."

"But…" the shinigami froze where he stood. "But… she might kill me!"

Omaeda yawned. "Yeah, yeah. Good luck."

When the Riteitai was out of earshot, he muttered to himself, chuckling. "I love bein' in charge."

Xxx0o0xxX

The sun was rising, lighting the sky above me as every step felt heavier.

Kurokage's blade was covered in blood, held loosely by one hand while the other clutched tightly on wounds that bled. The pain distorted my senses, making it feel as if I was walking for an immeasurable amount of time. My will and endurance was all that was left keeping my body up.

Far ahead, in front of my eyes, was the old Onmitsukidō training grounds. Nearby, however, was a small cave made long ago as a storage for training tools.

It felt as though walking the final steps to safety were the hardest, and it wasn't long before my body gave way and collapsed as soon as I entered.

My right arm, still holding my zanpakutō, rose up, blood dripping, reflecting my own eyes and what they saw.

Xxx0o0xxX

The scene of the battle was still fresh, many fallen shinigami not yet treated. Many healers from the 4th Division were working tirelessly.

Even the captain and vice-captain were taking care of the injured. "You do not need to worry about your subordinates, Soifon-taichou. It seems that although Kumo-kun managed to take them all down, none of them have sustained any fatal injury." Unohana told her junior, although her face showed a rare sign of sadness.

Soifon watched her fallen Keigun being cared for, with a scowl etched on her face. "He took out a half of the Onmitsukidō's main military force by _himself_."

Unohana turned to look at the wounded. "It seems Kumo-kun has strength that surprises us all. But…" she turned to a familiar direction. "He hasn't gone far. I can feel his reiatsu. Is that not the old training grounds for your division, Soifon-taichou?"

The captain nodded silently.

"Are you going to go after him?" The 4th Division asked. "His reiatsu is very weak. Kumo-kun may die of his injuries."

There was a long moment of pondering for Soifon, but eventually replied. "No. It's a fair punishment for his crimes. I will leave him to die in peace."

"Soifon-taichou!"

A messenger flashed from behind her, kneeling down. "There's been an order for all captains to meet at the Sokyoku Hill immediately! They are beginning the execution!"

"I see," Soifon gave a glance at her senior captain. "I'll leave my men in your squad's care, then."

Unohana nodded. "Do not worry, Soifon-taichou. I will heal all your soldiers completely and join you at the Sokyoku as soon as possible."

Soifon left the 4th Squad's captain without giving a single word.

Xxx0o0xxX

"_Rukia Kuchiki… do you have any final words you wish to say?"_

"_Yes… just one thing."_

"…_very well. If it is your final wish, by tomorrow morning, the ryoka will be allowed back home peacefully."_

"_Thank you."_

"_Release the seal of the Sokyoku."_

Xxx0o0xxX

My awakening was abrupt. A large burst of reiatsu shook me from my sleep like the loud roar of thunder.

Strangely, there was no more pain. The feeling of wounds caused by countless blades was gone. Lifting my body was difficult, my back stiff from lying on the stone floor. Although my injuries were not bandaged, someone had clearly treated them as well as possible.

But as I looked around, there was no trace of anyone, or more correctly, any person. A single black cat sat at my side, watching. The small creature looked extremely familiar.

_It's the cat that somehow got into my office_, I remembered the cat well. It acted extremely odd for a cat, not making a sound and staying put, not moving an inch.

"Did you…" I began to speak. _No, no. It's a cat. It can't heal, and it can't talk. Don't be stupid._

A sudden jolt of reiatsu attracted my attention, followed by another large burst moments later.

"This reiatsu… it's Zaraki-taichou!" As I focused, I could feel the fluctuation of his spiritual pulse. "He's fighting… and the other huge reiatsu… it's the Sokyoku!" Instinctively, my hand swept up Kurokage, and I ran towards the exit, not even bothering to tie the sword to my sash.

A stab of pain on my left foot stopped me in my tracks. "Tch… I don't have time!" Ignoring the bleeding, I continued to make my way out, before a quick flash of black fur darted past me.

Before I knew it, the creature had overtaken me and left me leagues behind.

"_That's no ordinary cat._"

Xxx0o0xxX

Ayame was almost buried under the work her superiors left for her. Her job as a shinigami was proving to be highly stressful, and the most recent events just made her life even more of an annoyance. Ever since Renji got put into custody, Ayame's been forced to take over all of his duties. And according to the latest reports, her younger brother broke out of prison and fought his way through three squads of Keigun soldiers.

She looked out the window with tired eyes, watching the Sokyoku Hill as the large burst of reiatsu signaled the release of the most powerful weapon in all of Soul Society. It would all end once the blade pierces through the punished.

But that didn't get rid of the dark cloud hanging over her mind. "Something bad is going to happen," Ayame said.

She slapped herself for speaking her mind. Nothing's going to happen. This crisis would all end once the execution was over.

Xxx0o0xxX

Many large reiatsu sites were sensed after the initial large burst of energy from the Sokyoku. Even though it was too far away, I could easily see the enormous phoenix, rising for the killing blow, before it was stopped by something too small to even see.

And then, moments after, the flames dispersed. _It was the ryoka_. That was the only explanation.

Blood was still running down my legs. No matter how much it hurt, it was impossible to stop running. The pain could not even compare to the black aura hanging loosely off my shoulders.

It felt as if the black rags of Kurokage were gripping onto my shoulders like an iron claw. As it drifted with the wind, its voice whispered into my ear, guiding me.

"_Can you sense it? They are all fighting. Ryoka or shinigami, they are all determined to do what they believe that they must do._"

"So am I," I replied.

"_We know._" A long pause, ominous and slow. "_Do you understand, Kiyashi, the consequences of using the Yozoratsurugi?_"

Instinctively, my right hand lowered to hold onto the hilt. As I drew it, I noticed that the weapon was still in its Shikai form, though the blade itself was no longer black, instead a dull, dead grey.

Kurokage's 'grip' on my shoulder tightened. "_You cannot use any of your zanpakutō's powers. That is the consequence of power. The Yozoratsurugi is the sign of determination, the willingness to sacrifice all other power to release a single strike. Once it is used, the deep black of your blade will fade, powerless until your power slowly returns. As your reiatsu recovers, so will the color of the sword._"

The zanpakutō's grey blade showed no reflection, almost as if the darkness that embodied the blade was drained away by the strike. The words that Kurokage said about the Yozoratsurugi were still clear.

_A stab of pure darkness. Burning away all light, invisible amongst shadows. A complete blackout manipulated to be a single strike. That is the Yozoratsurugi._

My hand moved back, sheathing Kurokage "And the cost of such power… I can only use it once?"

"_Perhaps one day, your resolve will prove to be the stronger, and finally gain that strength to raise your blade once more. But…_" The last word somehow, seemed to give off a hint of sadness. "_Such power is… difficult to come by. Many lose their lives in their foolhardy, power-hungry attempt to obtain it._"

I closed my eyes. "I will not fail. For the both of us."

Xxx0o0xxX

_My focus shifted to the many great reiatsu that spread across the Seireitei._

_The furthest away, an immense gathering of three different sources of reiatsu flared in intense battle. The strongest of them all was like a great flame, more than twice the intensity of the others combined._

_The second burned brightly on the Sokyoku Hill, burying the remnants of the failed execution. Two wild, powerful warriors battled._

_The third was a site that had been fiercely burning for a long time now, and a single look at the direction made it obvious of who was fighting. An enormous black iron giant battled a far smaller adversary._

_The final site pointed to the direction of a thick forest, where two fought, one familiar and one unknown. It was unmistakably that direction that pointed to the captain._

_Flaring intensely. Burning. The choice must be made. I had to choose the battle that was most important._

_And there was no time for doubt._

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: I am very sorry about the shortness. I disappear for ages, don't update, and then show up with a chapter that doesn't even reach my personal target of 2000 words. :(

Anyway, I hope you all won't mind. I actually had one half of this chapter in my document for ages and could never finish it. That's why the chapter is kind of weak.

Please review! I read them all!

PS: I've recently gotten an obsession to drawing. I'm not too good with it yet, but I'll be sure to draw a picture of Kiyashi once I get better! I'll probably put it up as my profile avatar once I get it right!


	24. Chapter 22

AN: Hey there, I'm back. Thanks for the reviews, by the way. This arc's nearing the end, with maybe three or so more chapters. As for the story itself, it's not going to turn out to be one of those hot, steamy romance fics because those turn out too emotional. I guess the genre is a little misleading.

The latest chapter of Bleach was interesting, and I expected the Shippuden-style time skip, but it kind of put a wrench in my plans for the post-Winter War arc, which was going to have Ichigo in it. I've got future plans for an older OC, too. The post-Winter War arc I had planned will take place after Ichigo gets his powers back (he'd better!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Do you expect me to?

Xxx0o0xxX

_The Soul Society was in turmoil._

_Intense, furious battles broke out through all over the Seireitei. The renegade Kenpachi fought against Komamura's Bankai. Three of the oldest captains battled together in a fiery waste. The Sokyoku Hill almost split in two from the relentless assaults of ryoka versus captain._

_And in the further distance, amongst a thick clearing of forest, former master and student battled with killing intent._

_These few battles of the Soul Society's leaders battling both ryoka and each other were enough to throw every shinigami in a state of chaos._

Xxx0o0xxX

Countless Keigun soldiers, over fifty in number, all down with in an instant.

_No… a __**flash**__._

"You're underestimating me."

She had that confident grin on her face, completely unfazed. That person had never changed even in a hundred years.

"I may have thrown away the commander's rank, but… I don't remember losing my _other _title."

"'_**Shunshin' Yoruichi**_." Soifon spat out the name bitterly. Even saying the name brought bile to her throat. In front of her, was the person that she hated and aimed to surpass for an entire century. Yoruichi Shihouin. "I see. So, I have no choice but to take that title from you…" She abandoned her captain's haori, revealing the executive commander's uniform. "With my own hands."

Xxx0o0xxX

Moving around the area was difficult. Closer to the Sokyoku Hill, the center of the Seireitei, many shinigami had gathered to check out the disturbances.

A group of five shinigami stood in the way, giving me no choice but to hide. "Damn them… I'm running out of time." Eyeing a wall opposite, I raised a hand. "Shakkaho!"

The bolt of flame knocked down the already cracking wall, and the shinigami group foolishly ran towards the direction of the blast.

It was difficult moving as a fugitive, especially with my injuries preventing me from safely using shunpo. Evading every shinigami was a tedious and difficult task.

Luckily, it didn't seem like the crisis was going to be over any time soon. The raging waves of reiatsu in the distance did not relent, and it wasn't going to either.

Strangely, the dark feeling of _another _ominous event hung over the sky.

Xxx0o0xxX

Both master and student breathed heavily, leaning on support. They had fought with equal skill, neither overpowering the other. But Soifon was prepared to put an end to everything.

Her feet ached from the ferocity of Yoruichi's attacks, but the captain was ready to win this fight.

"You've been hit once."

Yoruichi's expression barely changed- if anything, it became more smug. "Yeah." Her bright eyes narrowed as she looked at her former student. "That battle suit… have you got any tricks up your sleeve? I somehow can't focus on your movements."

Soifon's fist clenched tightly at the obvious taunt. "Tricks…? Why would you think so?"

The ex-Onmitsukidō commander smirked. "Just out of curiosity… or… maybe it's got something to do with that student of yours?"

The second taunt was less mocking, but it infuriated Soifon far more. "That's none of your business!" she yelled back aggressively.

The cocky smile on Yoruichi's face dropped as she heard the response. "That kid… he was almost killed by the Keigun chasing him. I only managed to heal him because he held on long enough."

Soifon's face hardened. "Do you expect me to thank you?"

"No, not at all." Then, to her annoyance, that smile returned to her face. "It's rather ironic, you know, to be betrayed twice the way you did."

The last word barely left Yoruichi's lips before Soifon's blade appeared at her throat. "_Jinteki Shakusetsu, Suzumebachi._"

The Shikai activated, Suzumebachi shifted into the golden stinger, almost touching her captured target's neck.

With one life-saving movement, Yoruichi darted away from the incoming attack, keeping a distance away from her opponent, until she realized that Soifon was right behind her. "You can't escape."

Xxx0o0xxX

"Great… I got caught."

Countless shinigami, some familiar, wearing uniforms of the Executive and Patrol corps, surrounded me in a perfect circle, with no chance of escape.

"Please yield, 3rd Seat! We don't wish to use force if we don't have to!" They were _still _after me, and for some reason still being merciful.

Regretfully, my hand moved to Kurokage. "I can't do that. And… it's your duty as the Onmitsukidō to hunt down and eliminate deserters. No exceptions."

The leader of the group nodded. "Please forgive us!"

"Don't worry," I told him. "This'll be the last time."

Xxx0o0xxX

"You've been hit once."

The stab mark on Yoruichi's chest was shallow, but she of all people knew even shallow cuts were dangerous when it came to Soifon's zanpakutō.

"Do you remember, Yoruichi? My Suzumebachi's power?"

Of course she did. She wasn't even the slightest bit surprised when the Homonka mark appeared on her chest.

"_Nigeki Kessatsu_. Once it strikes the same place twice, you will surely die!"

Yoruichi reacted swiftly and hurriedly. Soifon, again, managed to outmaneuver her and prepare an attack.

"This is the second strike, Yoruichi!"

Xxx0o0xxX

Things were bad. Very bad.

I was outnumbered and overwhelmed by the number of opponents surrounding me. I was able to fend off the pursuers in the previous battle. It wouldn't be so easy this time.

One shinigami landed a hit on my spine, knocking me to the ground and causing me to spit out a stream of blood.

I retaliated with a kick that flung the enemy back, but more were closing in.

"Damn it," I bit down hard, trying to keep them away despite lying on the ground. It was no good. I couldn't keep this up much longer.

I probably would've died if a miracle didn't occur at that moment.

The wall next to a large number of the shinigami suddenly crashed down on them, with so much force it almost seemed to be an explosion. The assault seemed to have been unintentional, but I almost changed my mind once the attacker came into view.

The shinigami were just as shocked at the sudden revelation, but more at the person who walked out of the flying dust and smoke.

"Z-Zaraki-taichou!" many exclaimed, and indeed, it was none other than the 11th Squad's captain, looking bored and unsurprised at seeing the unconscious men lying in front of him.

A squeaky voice was heard from behind him. "Oops." A certain pink-haired girl's head popped up from behind the captain's shoulder. "Hey, Ken-chan! You should be careful which walls you knock down!"

Zaraki responded with extreme annoyance. "Shut up! You're the one who got us completely lost!"

Yachiru pouted, but instead looked towards the remaining members of the Keigun and Keiratai. "Hey, Ken-chan…"

"Huh…" the captain looked at them with his good eye, then looked back. "I ain't interested."

No one overlooked the sudden increase in the reiatsu Zaraki-taichou released as a threat. Even the leader of the squad sweated in fright.

"R-retreat!" Nobody argued. Even many of the shinigami knocked down by Zaraki's less-than-graceful entrance quickly got up and fled.

Moments later, when all of the Onmitsukidō enforcers 'evacuated' the area, I lifted my body. "T-thank you very much, Zaraki-taichou."

Yachiru's eyes widened a bit after I spoke. "Eh…? Glasses-kun's here as well?"

I sweatdropped. _I guess they didn't notice me after all._

Zaraki sat down on a rock, seemingly tired of his meaningless running around. "So, what's goin' on with you, Kumo? Gettin' beat up by your own squad, you've gone rebel?"

I adjusted my glasses, taking note of the cracks on the lens. "Something like that." Tiredly, I sat down on the floor. "Zaraki-taichou… are you…"

Zaraki frowned. "What, you think I'm gonna take you back? Idiot. Did ya forget I'm in trouble with the old geezer now? I can't just go strollin' back to yer squad and hand you over. Besides…" He rolled his eye. "You ain't gonna be much fun to fight anyway, not when yer beat up like that. That dog-headed bastard ran away from our fight, I'm lookin' for him, so I don't really care about anythin' else."

He got up and began to leave. "By the way, your captain… she's fightin' someone strong. It's too bad I ain't there right now. But I ain't rude enough to interrupt someone's fight. Ja-na."

With the casual goodbye, he walked away with Yachiru climbing onto his back. It was a while before I remembered what I was doing and began to make up for lost time.

Xxx0o0xxX

One, two, three.

Yoruichi looked at her Homonka marks for a split second. She could survive for the moment, turning her body whenever Suzumebachi is close to stabbing a marked area. But it also increased the chances of getting hit.

Right behind her, Soifon was mocking and jeering at her former mentor while chasing her at top speed.

"It's not like you to show your back to the enemy!"

Yoruichi looked back, noticing that she was catching up. Small amounts of blood still dripped from the areas stabbed.

"Running away to buy time won't work! Unlike in the past, my Homonka now last forever! They'll never disappear unless I want them to!"

She spoke for too long, and was distracted by her own voice, barely reacting to Yoruichi flinging knives at her from hidden areas on her leg.

The same moment she knocked away the blades, Yoruichi went on the offensive and kicked down on her arm.

_Too slow._ Soifon thought, stopping her other raised foot with her own, locking her in a position and preparing to deal the final blow with her zanpakutō.

Unfortunately for her, the strike once again narrowly missed the mark, instead leaving a cut on her cheek.

Soifon had a victorious smile on her face, but she was beginning to get tired of the slow rate of the battle. _Yes… I think it's time to use that technique._

Reiatsu around her began to shape itself, taking a form similar to a violent wind. "Surprised?"

Yoruichi was, finally taking on a shocked expression.

"This is the technique that blends the power of Hakuda and Kido. I developed it. It still has not been named."

However, something was terribly wrong. Yoruichi was shocked, but she didn't seem the least bit frightened. And when she spoke, the only word that came out of her mouth was, "…No."

Her eyes changed to hard and determined. "It does have a name."

Soifon narrowed her eyes. "What?"

Something was happening. Reiatsu began to gather around her in similar- no, exactly the same way as it did for Soifon. But there was one difference. Yoruichi's reiatsu was focused, and _strong_.

"It's name is… Shunko."

It was Soifon's turn to be shocked beyond belief. Her technique, _her's_, was being used by the person she hated the most, and Yoruichi seemed far more proficient in it than she was.

"Do you know why the uniform of the Executive Militia Commander has no sleeves?"

Xxx0o0xxX

The trees were a hindrance to my movement. The forest was annoyingly thick, and only the reiatsu ahead gave any clue as to where that battle raged.

And now, it was even harder to tell, as the reiatsu had grown to be so large that it was difficult to focus on the source.

_It's __**that**__ technique. The captain's definitely here._

But why, however difficult it was to concentrate on the reiatsu, was there seemingly two sources ahead?

"Captain… who are you fighting?"

Xxx0o0xxX

"Impossible…"

Soifon watched as Yoruichi's outer clothing tore off as the reiatsu began to build up, leaving only the sleeveless clothing behind.

Yoruichi sighed. "I really didn't want to use this technique against you, but…" she raised a palm. "Be careful, Soifon. Even I can't control it fully."

The resulting blast was tremendous. Compared to what she just saw, Soifon's training, all those hours of hard struggle… she wasn't even close to this level.

Yoruichi looked grim. She didn't show any sign of her previous traits. "Now… do you know why I have never shown you this technique?" The reiatsu on her back began to flare up again. "It's too dangerous. That's the one and only reason."

Soifon lost her cool just then, lunging forwards in fury, screaming out.

But Yoruichi was prepared for any attack this time, stopping her attempted attack. "Stop."

She grabbed Soifon's hand tightly and pulled her forwards. "You are not ready to use this technique yet."

Soifon's hand shook, and she roughly pulled back, leaping back to prepare for another lunging strike. Yoruichi returned to her previous stance, but she was caught unsuspecting for what she did instead.

_I… I will kill you, no matter what! I will prove to you that I am stronger!_

With one swift, fluid motion, Soifon pulled her hand back, and stabbed it through the air. A sharp, thin bolt of reiatsu created from the energy made by the technique flew towards her.

It was weak and thin, and Yoruichi made no effort to block it, allowing it to brush past her, only scraping her left cheek.

She realized too late that along with the bolt was the lethal two-dose poison of Suzumebachi.

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Yeah, canon stuff kind of sucks. I added that last part purely as an answer to how developed Soifon's power's are. By the way, the left cheek was where Yoruichi was stabbed before, so… XP.

Oh yeah, I'm deliberately SPOILING you, Yoruichi's not dead. Nope. I wouldn't kill such an important plot character. I'm not sure whether I'm pleased or annoyed with how I made this chapter, actually. Maybe it was a bit messed up?

And, another fact, Suzumebachi's power is used through poison. I have absolutely no idea if the poison can actually separate from the zanpakutō, but who cares, :P this is fanfic.

And about Zaraki gatecrashing the fight… XD

Please Review!


	25. Chapter 23

ANNONCEMENT: THIS FIC IS NOT DEAD!

Happy New Year, folks, and a big, big apology for not updating for what seemed like an eternity. I'm finally back after long, tedious months and bringing the fic back from the dead at last!

Now for the bad news. It's a pretty busy schedule for me from this point on, so don't expect another update anytime soon. Happily, the CNY holidays are coming, and that is an awesome time to just sit back and try continuing the story.

Don't think that I haven't been caring for the fic at all though. I've planned many, many steps ahead, so any more delay will most likely not be from writer's block. I've got a summary of arcs that extend to the post-Winter War canon stuff. The Bount arc and Amagai arc will definitely not be included in the future, just because they are full of pointless plots and it is nearly impossible to write anything that isn't boring canon. Zanpakutō arc is possible since it has much more space to maneuver.

So far, I have planned two more arcs that will take place between the canon storyline. Hopefully they will be interesting to read, because I sure will have fun writing them! However, if you have a dislike of seeing too many new OC's (albeit they're likely all going to die… maybe not though XD) I am going to just apologize right now.

No, I haven't finished rambling on yet. Good news, the story from here on is probably going to contain less canon, although this will also mean I will have to make alterations to the main plot. Not big ones, mind you, just some changes in scenario to make my OC fit in some more.

I think that's all I have to say for now. Let's just say that things will be a bit smoother from now on, but I certainly can't promise anything. Enjoy the chapter and happy new year again to all you readers out there!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. (seriously, guys. Is there any point in putting this here anymore?)

Xxx0o0xxX

The single strike, silent, focused, made the forest itself shiver.

A small amount of blood dripped down her cheek, coming from what seemed like a minor cut, an injury that barely mattered to one of her skill. They both knew otherwise.

Soifon lowered the tip of Suzumebachi. The zanpakutō glistened in the sunlight. At that moment, she felt triumphant.

"Second strike. You lose, Yoruichi."

She turned away, victorious. Suzumebachi glowed red, transforming back into it's sealed form and sheathed afterwards.

The rush of excitement coursing through Soifon's body was fading. She was oblivious to the distant sounds of combat, the fallen leaves crushed beneath her feet, her own bleeding wounds…

She did not care. Yoruichi Shihouin is dead, finally defeated by her hand, the task that she had trained herself mercilessly in the past many years to accomplish.

That was all that mattered.

Xxx0o0xxX

News spread across the Seireitei like wildfire. Shinigami spoke to each other in hurried, excited voices, delivering the news of violent battles between the many captains.

Many watched the towering form of Komamura's Bankai, visible to every shinigami no matter where they stood, slashing downwards at an opponent too small to see.

"D'you see that? They'll be knocking down half the Seireitei at this rate if the fighting doesn't stop."

"Yeah…" Ayame muttered, hardly listening.

Behind her, several wounded Shinigami were being hauled onto stretchers. She had heard that the vice-captain of her own division was responsible for severely injuring them.

One shinigami counted the number of the wounded. "Hey, there's one missing… that Rikichi kid. Wasn't he supposed to stand guard here as well?"

"Who cares? He probably ran away."

"Yeah, probably, but what if he's dead?"

"Come on, who'd drag that kid's dead body around with them?"

Ayame sighed. Everything bad seemed to have been happening to her and her division. Well, it wasn't as bad as the Fifth…

She shook her head. There were more important things to think about. "There hasn't been any sign of Renji yet?"

"No, ma'am... the vice-captain had broken out of his cell and that was the last anyone saw him."

Ayame sighed again. "And any news of my brother?"

The shinigami was suddenly stern. "5th Seat, our division is in extreme disarray. We can not to spare the time to search for someone completely unrelated…"

His words were cut short as Ayame's hand closed around the front of his robes. "You are going to dispatch someone to find my brother," she glared as he began to protest, "Now. Do you understand?"

"Y…yes ma'am…"

Ayame was about to let go, before shouts alerted her from behind.

"5th Seat Kinasuke! We've got news of the captain and vice-captain!"

Instantly Ayame threw aside the shinigami, who struck the floor with a yelp, which she ignored. "What is it?"

The messenger, seemingly having ran a long distance, took a deep breath before speaking. "The captain… he is currently fighting one of the ryoka! We believe that it is the leader of the group, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

"And Renji?"

"The vice-captain… He has taken the offender Rukia Kuchiki and escaped with her! His current location…" he shuddered. "We do not know, ma'am!"

Ayame bit her lip. "Any news on the location of my brother?" she took a threatening step forwards before continuing. "And I'd advice you choose your answer _carefully_ before you speak."

The messenger gulped. "We… have… heard nothing, 5th Seat."

His legs were shaking. Ayame cursed under her breath, but it seemed like the two shinigami were both too frightened to notice.

"Kiyashi… otouto… please be safe…"

Xxx0o0xxX

It wasn't until Soifon was about to return to the shadows when she realized something was horribly wrong.

She had killed her enemy, so why did she feel so defensive? It was as if…

Without warning, she turned with great speed, expecting to see the corpse of her fallen opponent.

There was nothing but a few leaves, cut, mutilated on the ground.

Soifon shivered. "No…" the word was met with a few sharp chuckles.

Yoruichi was perched on the top of a tree, with an amused smile on her face.

"My, my, that was really dangerous. I just barely managed to avoid that in time, you know."

In response, Soifon clenched her teeth tightly. "Utsusemi…" she spat out every syllable furiously, as though naming a hated enemy.

The grin was no longer on her former mentor's face. She jumped from her perch, her eyes analyzing Soifon, a look of both curiosity and sadness. "You have gotten stronger, Soifon. For whose sake?"

The last three words infuriated Soifon more than anything else Yoruichi has spoken. "I have already told you!" her blade flashed, flying out of her sheath and transforming. "The strength that I have earned, I gained it to defeat you!"

Even with her enraged ex-protégé lunging at her, blade full of killing intent, Yoruichi showed no anger, or any indication of a dodge or counter-attack, despite the energy beginning to gather again around Soifon's body.

Her next words Soifon could not hear. "You're lying."

Xxx0o0xxX

Running, sprinting so fast I can hardly feel my legs, furious at my own sluggishness. All these I could feel at once, but none of them mattered then.

Every obstacle, whether it be tree, bush or rock, angered me, taunted me, slowing my progress throughout the forest.

_My feet hurt. I don't care. Just keep running. I have to._

My glasses hurt the bridge of my nose as I increased my pace.

_Captain…_

That one word gave me all the motivation I would ever need to keep going.

_Where are you, captain? Where… where?_

My thoughts were soon answered. Enraged screams filled the air, although it was difficult to hear the words. Fear flooded me. I had never heard the captain speak with so much fury before.

My pace increased. It became more and more difficult to think as I concentrated on dodging every obstacle, led by the renewed sounds of battle.

Xxx0o0xxX

Ayame knew she shouldn't have been doing this.

Wandering across the Seireitei, trying to find any news of her brother, she had accidentally come across two men speaking mysteriously in an abandoned corner.

"…it's almost time, isn't it?"

The voice was just loud enough to hear, but Ayame had difficulty placing the voice to its owner, and had barely time to think before someone replied.

"Are ya gonna be fine though like that? He did put some big injuries on ya."

Ayame froze. The second speaker hadn't bothered to keep his voice down. She recognized the voice and the tone immediately. It was Ichimaru.

"…it does not matter. It is more important that we play our part in this."

Ichimaru made a strange clicking sound. "I know, I know. But ya oughta' be careful. I wouldn't want ya to collapse when we're doin' our job, right?"

The captain's tone made it seem as if that was exactly what he _did _want to happen. Perhaps the other person noticed as well, as his own tone changed.

"…it is time for me to find _them_ now. Do not fail, Ichimaru."

The swift sound of a flash step echoed through the passage, followed by the sound of footsteps, which stopped abruptly.

"Come out."

Ayame almost slapped herself for her stupidity. She had not hidden her reiatsu from him, although she doubted she could have anyway. She stepped out of the shadows, trying to hide the fear she felt.

Ichimaru grinned. "Well, if it ain't dear Ayame-chan. What're ya doin' skulkin' round here anyway when yer captain's out fightin' ryoka, then?

Ayame scowled, although it may have been a foolish choice. "I could ask you the same, Ichimaru-_taichou_. I'd like to know why you are here in an abandoned alley when the ryoka are loose all over the Seireitei. Aren't you neglecting your duty as a captain?"

"The other captains are doin' fine against the ryoka, aren't they?" Ichimaru looked towards the Sokyoku Hill. "I can just leave it to them, can't I?

"Even so…" Ayame began, only for Ichimaru to cut her off with a dangerous laugh.

"Go home, Ayame-chan," he mocked, "it's dangerous fer girls to be out at dark."

As he walked away, Ayame shouted out in protest. "Ichimaru-taichou! I cannot-" she froze. Ichimaru slowly turned, his smile wider than usual, giving his face a devilish look.

"My, my… I din't wanna do this, ya know?"

Xxx0o0xxX

They were _there_.

Hidden in the bushes, I could see them, silent as statues. Small craters marked areas which have felt reiatsu.

The taller, lean and graceful, a single fist raised as if to attack, faced my captain. They did not move.

"Why…" Soifon-taichou spoke gently, quietly, so that I could not hear her words. And suddenly, without and provocation or warning, she collapsed to the floor, twitching, shaking.

For the first time in my life, I saw Soifon-taichou _crying_.

Xxx0o0xxX

AN: Not as good as previous chapters, I have to say. This is mostly because I'm getting tired of writing canon things, and make up new non-canon stuff… argh…

Yeah, I'm not very happy with this chapter. It's not the best rebirth of the fanfic, huh? Oh well, I'll be done with this arc soon, and then I'll be getting to my first non-canon arc (yay!).

Anyway, please read and review, because I've really missed them.

Happy New Year!


	26. Chapter 24

AN: Hey there, guys. Sorry if it's been a while. I've been really busy lately, and then to make matters worse my computer busted and I had no way of writing the next chapter (grr...)

Good news though, I've got it working again and hopefully I'll be able to get the chapters uploaded faster. Don't get your hopes up too high though, I've got a busy schedule (stupid school...) and writing fanfiction is _hard_. Now that I've gotten nearly the whole future script ready though it should be a breeze (yay!~).

However! Major alert. I have received a request from my good friend, who has read my fanfiction and suggested that I do a similar fic for Naruto (his favorite series). I'm not a fan of Naruto, as a result of particular faults of the anime/manga, but I will consider a crossover between it and Bleach (just cos I love it so much). Depending on what reviews I get, I may or may not go through with the fic. But remember that it's going to cost me time and attention on _this_ fanfic.

Anyway, if I do go through with this, I'll have to dig out my old Naruto mangas. :P As a rule, though, my OC Kiyashi _will_ be in this fic if I write it. Maybe that will provide some motivation for me to work on it, heh.

END OF MAJOR ALERT

Ugh, I'm putting in so many brackets... probably because I'm tired as hell. Forgive me if this chapter seems a bit hurried.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. (Is there any more point in me typing this?)

BTW, I've switched to using OpenOffice now in hopes that line breaks will work properly now. No more of that XXXOOO mess.

_Two souls, locked in battle._

_Two blades, cutting with the intent to kill._

_White sword. Black sword._

_Blood litters the ground. Breaths drowned by sounds of clashing blades._

"...what's wrong? Your movements have become slow... Ichigo Kurosaki."

_Once, twice, striking like a steady rhythm._

"...really? To me your sword looks like it ain't moving at all.

_...interrupted by an evil mask._

* * *

"Who am _I_?"

He laughed maniacally. "I don't have... any name!"

_The mask..._

"That mask... you're... a Hollow?"

"Who cares? You don't need to know who I am, after all... you going to-"

_Disappear._

It was real.

No matter how many times I blink, trying to convince myself, it didn't change.

_The Captain... Captain Soifon was..._

Those tears, falling to the ground... they were hers. She was crying.

_Why?_

My eyes moved to the dark-skinned woman, looking down, sadness visible in her eyes.

The quiet sobbing stopped, abruptly, the captain falling into a dead faint.

There was silence for a long moment, but even as the tall woman's back was turned I knew it was useless to hide from her. "Come out,"

I obeyed, stepping out of the bushes. She turned around, revealing bright amber eyes that looked like flames. They looked familiar.

"You're the one who saved me." There was no mistake. Those were the eyes of the cat.

The woman turned away to the figure on the floor, to my captain. "Yeah,"

It was unbelievable, looking at my captain, seeing how much emotion she had shown in this battle. This wasn't the captain that I thought I knew.

"She's gotten so much stronger," the dark woman said, "She wasn't just fighting for herself. She was fighting for her honor, and..." she stopped suddenly, turning. "But she lost. I felt it. In the end, she never meant to try and kill me."

My eyes widened. The _Homonka_ marks, on her arms, face and chest were fading, only possible if Soifon-taichou no longer had killing intent towards her.

_Taichou... you..._

* * *

_Screams of agony, half shinigami, half hollow..._

"Sorry about that... now, where were we?"

…

"This will be... the last strike."

…

"Why? Why won't you save Rukia?"

"...I will answer... if you can defeat me."

…

"Shukei, _**Hakuteiken**_."

"All I can do now... is put all my reiatsu into this last strike!"

_...let's go!_

_Yoruichi Shihōin..._

That name... every Onmitsukidō soldier knew that name. She was Soifon's predecessor.

She was just looking into the distance, at the Sokyoku Hill where an intense battle was ending.

"That's probably Ichigo fighting... it's almost the end."

My thoughts strayed to that time... a long time ago now...

"_She was a traitor. A traitor who abandoned Soul Society and the Gotei 13. That's all."_

"_Why? Why did she abandon the Shinigami?"_

_**I'll admit, that look in her eyes, it scared me then. A mixture of anger, hatred... and sadness. Her false smile just frightened me more.**_

"_Who knows? We trusted her, admired her, believed that we would be strong under her, and when she betrayed us? Her lies, they fell apart one by one."_

_**The fire in Soifon-taichou's eyes grew more intense then, nearly inhuman.**_

"_I'll surpass her. For her lies and betrayal, I'll find her no matter where she is, and I'll kill her with my own sword. I'll show her how foolish she was for abandoning..."_

_**Why... why did she hesitate there? Was there a secret there, something she didn't want to tell anyone?**_

"_We're wasting time. Let's get back to our training."_

_The smoke cleared. Reiatsu faded._

_The strong blade shattered the weak._

"You asked me... why I won't save Rukia. Those who go against the law must be punished. When the punishment is decided it must be executed. That is the rule."

"...Because it's the rule, you'd even kill... your own sister?"

"...the Kuchiki clan must set a standard for all Shinigami... if we do not uphold the law, who will?"

…

"Sorry... I don't get it. Even if I were in your position... I'd definitely fight against that law."

She stirred at last.

"Captain..." I whispered, looking back at her.

She looked surprised, almost confused at seeing me. "You... why did you..." Her eyes widened as she looked past my shoulder.

"Yoruichi...-_sama_..."

AN: Aaargh, sorry, guys, about how short it is, but I had to end it here. I hate how much of it turned out as chopped up pieces of canon. Next chapter will be interesting though.

Again, consider the note above about the crossover fic. If it sounds good, sure, I'll do it. If not... meh.

Please review my fic. I can't get enough of them.


End file.
